Kismet or Chaos?
by Airurando
Summary: Heero brooded over whether or not Relena reciprocated the obvious feelings Blair had for her. All she had said was that the kiss “meant nothing.” Had it really? He had to find out. First, he had to find her. Then he could properly interrogate her...
1. After All This Time

**Chapter I**

**After All This Time**

"What do you mean, broken ankle?" Hilde practically screeched over the vid-phone.

"I'm afraid so," Relena sighed.

"Well how did you manage to do a thing like that?"

"I tripped down the stairs."

"Which stairs?"

"The big ones."

Hilde rolled her eyes. "Relena, all the stairs at your place are big."

"Yeah, but I mean the _big_ stairs– The ones that lead to the grand hall."

Hilde practically fell over, partly because there had to be at least fifty steps on that particular flight, and also because she couldn't get over the way Relena said "grand." The word rolled off her tongue with a long vowel, just like any royal would pronounce it. She was also puzzled as to how someone with Relena's natural poise, grace, and generally good coordination could just trip down a flight of fifty stairs. It sure didn't seem befitting of the famous Vice Foreign Minister and former Queen of the World Nation to take an everyday tumble like that. Hilde posed the question to Relena.

"I was really tired," was the weak explanation Relena offered. "And I wasn't watching where I was going."

"Yeah, right," Hilde scoffed, "like I buy that. You must've been really distracted. Did you think you saw Heero or something?

"No, no," Relena giggled. "Not at all."

Hilde was still skeptical. "Okay, if you say so. So, how bad is it?"

"Fortunately, it's only a stress fracture. The doctor says it should heal on its own, so I don't need to wear a cast."

"That's good. We've got a wedding to plan here."

"Oh, don't worry," Relena said breezily. "My ankle should heal in plenty of time for that. But just in case, you should pick a bridesmaid gown that will cover my feet!"

Hilde laughed. "Okay, I will. So how long do you think it will be before you can come up?"

Relena exhaled, blowing her bangs off her forehead. "I'm not sure. This month is going to be really hectic."

"What else is new? You're the busiest teenager on the planet!"

"Not for long," Relena said with a smile. "Soon, I'll be the busiest twenty-year-old on the planet."

"Which makes you even busier than normal, since now you have to plan your birthday party, too!"

"When will I find the time? I have to work on some paperwork, then I'm leaving for Japan tomorrow..."

"Japan? Cool! What's in Japan?" Hilde interrupted.

"An ESUN conference for pacifist diplomats."

"Interesting..." Hilde sounded bored already. "So, did you pack yet?"

"I haven't had..."

"The time!" Hilde finished with a giggle. "No wonder it's called a _stress_ fracture!"

"Ha, ha," Relena said playfully.

Hilde stopped laughing long enough to say good-bye. "I'd better let you get back to your all-important paperwork. And don't forget to pack!"

"Why bother? I can just buy some new clothes when I get there."

"Oh, it's so hard, being a princess," Hilde teased. "I hate you."

"I know."

"Bring me back one of those cute kimono things, 'kay?"

"I will."

"Bye! Have fun!"

"Bye!" Relena heard the receiver click. With a sigh, she fell back on her bed. _When will I find the time to get anything done?_ She glanced at her watch. It was late at night on Hilde's colony, but the day was just beginning for her. Yesterday she'd been chagrined to discover that all of her paperwork for this week's annual ESUN conference had errors, and it was up to her to make the corrections. That was before she fell down the staircase. The doctor ordered her to stay off her feet no matter what, but how was someone as busy as her expected to do that? She sighed again, thinking of the mount of papers stacked on her desk and planning the quickest route to take to her office via her uncomfortable crutches. Yes, the Peacecraft Castle was that big.

Looking at her injured foot clad in a clunky "air cast" that looked like nothing more than a Velcro-ed space boot, Relena wondered when she'd gotten so clumsy. She absentmindedly pondered what her adopted mother would say. The two had parted ways almost five years ago, after the death of Relena's father led her to take his place as Vice Foreign Minister. Mrs. Darlian had understood and admired Relena's decision to take the title and return to her birthplace, the Sanc Kingdom, but opted to stay behind. The Darlians had a gorgeous residence in Southern California, and though Relena had loved growing up there, she felt it was time to return to her roots. She had been at the Peacecraft Castle ever since.

Thinking about her mother made Relena wonder if she should call her; they hadn't spoken in a while. There was really no reason why not; after all, Relena had called Hilde in the colonies, and calling long distance to another country wasn't nearly as expensive as calling off the planet. And it wasn't as if Relena didn't have things to talk about, either. There was Hilde and Duo's wedding, the conference she was preparing for, and, of course, her broken ankle. Relena decided to continue ignoring her paperwork and picked up the phone once more. As tired and stressed as she was, she knew she had the rest of the day ahead of her, whether that was enough time or not. _I suppose I could just work on it some more on the plane tomorrow morning, _Relena thought. She'd never been much of a procrastinator, but just thinking about spending the rest of the day limping around on her broken ankle made Relena even more tired, and a little sick to her stomach. After dialing the number, Relena leaned back on her pillows and shut her eyes, listening to the phone ring on the other end.

Across the Atlantic Ocean, in New York, Heero Yuy glanced at his watch. Almost noon—time for his lunch break. He turned his pager on and headed out the door and down the street to his favorite deli. Some people were too intimidated to live in a place like New York City, but Heero didn't find it any different than all the other places he'd been. Heero could live anywhere, even the most dangerous cities, as long as he was cautious and looked out for himself. He was simply living from day to day, enjoying freedom while he had it, praying that peace between the earth and colonies would last, doing his job and minding his own business. That was all anyone could do, really.

Although being a Preventer did sometimes require him to stick his nose in other people's business, especially when he had to go undercover. Heero and the other former Gundam pilots had no qualms about doing that. Heero was used to always having an alias, and he usually just used the names of his friends as a joke between them. Lately, however, things had been a little too quiet around Preventer HQ for Heero's tastes, and he knew that something must be cooking somewhere. He half-expected to get a call while he waited for his hero sandwich. As he ordered "the usual," he calculated how he'd respond to the "Here's a hero for Heero!" he received every time he ate here. He'd been coming here for the past four years, and he and the owner, Patrick Riordan, had struck up an offbeat friendship. Pat, a man in his late fifties, was a little intimidated by Heero's no-nonsense attitude at first, but met it with an equally gruff one. Now the two teased each other often, which seemed a little uncharacteristic for Heero. The people closest to Heero, however, knew that he had a soft side under his tough exterior, and he would always be that way.

Heero watched as the girl behind the counter made his sandwich and then wrapped it up and placed it into a paper bag. Heero paid and was about to head out the door when he heard Pat's voice booming from the kitchen: _"What d'ya mean he ordered it ta go?"_ Heero cracked a tiny smile and, sure enough, Pat came storming out of the back.

"Hey punk, you sit right down and eat that sandwich here. You got time. And what are you doing with that little thing? Heroes need more than just heroes." He paused to laugh at his own joke. "Ah, that's a new one. Hey Marta, pour Heero some chili—the man's gotta eat!" Heero caught himself before he could laugh out loud at Pat's antics.

"What's the matta?" Pat pretended to glare at Heero. "Ya don't like chili? What's the matta wit ya? Everybody likes chili! Even Japanese kids gotta eat chili. It's a heckuva lot betta than that sushi crap they try ta feed ya over there."

Heero rolled his eyes at Pat, and accepted the extra food placed before him.

"So what's shakin', pal?"

"Nothing."

"Ya doin' anything exciting?"

"No." Heero bit into his sandwich.

"Bustin' any bad guys?"

"No."

"Kissin' any women?"

Heero swallowed. "No."

"Come on, I know you Preventer kids are always up to something. No calls today?"

"Not today."

"Hmm," Pat scratched his chin thoughtfully. "I bet you'll get one. Probably before you finish eating! That's the way people like to do things. They never consider other people first."

Heero liked Pat. All he ever did was chatter incessantly about everything and nothing at all while Heero ate. Once Heero finished, Pat would give him more food. Pat admired Heero's dangerous job and told Heero stories of times the deli had been robbed, hoping Heero would identify. He seemed to think of Heero as more of a police officer than anything else, which Heero found amusing.

Heero finally finished his meal and his visit with Pat and was about to head out the door when, sure enough, his pager went off.

"Hah!" Pat's staccato laughter rang throughout the small restaurant. "What'd I tell ya?"

Heero checked the pager. "It's Sally. Gotta run."

Pat nodded to him. "Catch ya later, Hero Boy."

Heero laughed inwardly but gave Pat a mockingly stern glare. "Whatever."

Pat grinned. "Punk."

Heero just nodded his goodbye and headed back down the street to the Preventer's office. He found Sally there, waiting for him.

"You sure respond to your pages quickly, something the other guys should've learned by now," Sally said with a smile, shaking her head. "Then again, that's why you're captain of the force. You've earned it."

Heero accepted her compliments and just nodded his thanks. By then, everyone knew him well enough to know that he nodded for just about everything, and could interpret a nod's meaning based on the situation.

"You got a job for me?"

"I certainly do."

"Where?"

"Paris."

"When?"

"Now."

"Okay."

Sally grinned. She was used to these single sentence conversations and got a kick out of them.

"Who?"

"A new political group. They say they're absolute pacifists, but you know how that sort of thing goes. Their chief representative was attacked, and they want someone to investigate."

Heero sighed. "Isn't that what the police are for?"

"They want the Perfect Soldier. Everyone does."

"Hurray. I'm famous."

"Like I said, you've earned it. Well, they actually want you to protect the leader and his daughter, but we want you to look into the group's activities a little more. You can never be too careful."

Heero nodded, confirming his understanding. Over the years, many groups and factions tried unsuccessfully to start another war between the earth and the colonies, even groups that hid behind a shroud of pacifism. But this particular job was more of a bodyguard situation, which Heero was more than used to handling, especially when it came to Relena.

Heero's thoughts wandered momentarily. As long as he was in Europe, he might as well stop by to see her. She'd appreciate that, he knew. Neither of them ever had time to pursue a relationship together, but over the years he'd devoted all of his free time to visiting her. She came to New York once in a while, but it was much easier for him to drop in and surprise her than for her to arrange a trip to see him. He'd never once called to tell her he was coming, and sometimes he missed her, but usually he found her working at her desk.

He was just wondering what she was up to when Sally cleared her throat, snapping Heero back to attention.

"Don't worry; you'll have plenty of time to see Relena. They want you in Europe for quite some time."

"Good," Heero said, then tried to cover it. "I mean..." He just nodded gruffly. "I'll go get my things. You got the plane ticket?"

"Right here." Sally held it up between two fingers, and Heero snatched it on his way out.

Heero examined the ticket, then looked up at Sally. "When do they expect me?"

"Tomorrow morning."

Heero nodded and started to head out the door when Sally stopped him.

"Why?" she teased. "Where will you be tonight?"

"Where do you think?"

Sally raised her eyebrows and smiled. "Should I call Relena and tell her to expect you?"

"No. She's used to being surprised."

"Oh..." Sally thought for a moment, her smile widening. "Have you ever thought of giving her a different kind of surprise?"

Heero's eyebrows shot up as he gave Sally a _what-on-earth-are-you-talking-about_ look.

Sally pretended to sigh impatiently. "You know, the sparkly, expensive kind that come in little velvet boxes?"

Heero caught on right away. "And follow in Duo's footsteps? No thanks. I think Relena would feel the same."

"You never know until you ask her."

"Whatever." Heero almost seemed annoyed. Sally decided she'd better let him go. She patted him on the back as he exited.

"See ya, Heero," Sally said with a smile. "Good luck in Paris, not that you'll need it."

"Later." With that, Heero headed up to his fifth floor apartment to pack.

Hours later, Relena was sitting at her desk, typing up her paperwork corrections. She had skipped lunch and dinner in order to make time for all she had to do. Talking with her mother on the phone earlier had been encouraging, and Relena was determined to have as good a work ethic as her father did when he was Vice Foreign Minister. _Then again,_ Relena thought as she typed, _he never left any time for family. _She brushed the thought aside. _Well, it doesn't matter. It's not like I have a family to spend time with anyway. _She didn't plan to, either. Here she was, almost twenty years old, with no prospects for getting married and no time to start a family. Helping with Hilde and Duo's wedding got Relena thinking, but she just couldn't picture herself married…especially to Heero. Even though she knew she was the only girl he was interested in, the two of them both seemed destined to be loners for life. She wondered how Heero felt about this, but chided herself for letting her thoughts wander so much. After all, she still had a lot of work to do.

Relena was growing tired and her ankle started to hurt. _Maybe I should get up and take some more pain relievers. _However, she was too sore to move. _Oh, well. I'll just wait it out. The pain will have to subside sometime. _She continued working, so focused that she didn't even notice the figure at the door.

"Is this a bad time?" A low voice boomed.

Relena was so startled, she practically fell out of her chair. "Heero? What are you doing here?"

"You seem excited to see me," Heero intoned sarcastically.

Relena had to smile, but she made no move to stand and greet him. Heero eyed her strangely, then made his way over to her.

"Are you too busy to give me a proper welcome?" Heero motioned to the pile of paperwork as he headed across the room. "It's not like I've seen you recently."

"Well, as much as I'd love to jump up and throw my arms around you..." Relena gestured toward her right foot. Heero leaned over the desk to see Relena's foot clad in an air cast, along with a pair of crutches lying next to it.

Heero frowned. "What did you do?"

"I fell down the stairs."

Heero raised an eyebrow. "Which stairs?"

"The big ones."

Heero rolled his eyes. "_Which_ stairs?"

Relena sighed. "The ones leading to the grand hall."

Heero shook his head. "What were you thinking?"

Relena glared at him. "It was an accident! Why doesn't anyone seem to think I'm capable of having them?"

"Because you're supposed to be the perfect ethereal goddess we all worship."

Relena lightly punched Heero's arm. He ignored her and nodded at her paperwork.

"Well, your injury doesn't exactly help ease your workload."

"No, not a bit."

Heero frowned. "Have you been resting?"

"I don't have time to rest. I have to have all of this done by tomorrow morning."

"What's tomorrow morning?"

"I'm going to a conference in Japan."

"Oh." Heero almost looked disappointed.

Relena looked up at him. "You... didn't come all the way out here just to see me, did you?" He rarely did that. Heero always had an excuse for why he was in the area and was dropping in to visit.

"No, I'm leaving for Paris tonight. I have a job there."

"I see. Can you tell me or is it top secret?"

"No." Heero sat back on Relena's desk, facing her. "I've been hired by Myles Donovan to protect him and his daughter."

"Ah, you just have an affinity for protecting pacifists, don't you?" Relena playfully batted her eyelashes at Heero.

"You like to think so."

"That's because I'm right." She gave him a smug smile.

Heero looked thoughtful. "Do you think Donovan would be going to the same conference as you?"

"It could be. He wasn't there last year, but you never know. We just might run into each other."

Heero just nodded, then peered at Relena's computer. "How long have you been working on this?"

"All afternoon," Relena replied, staring at the screen.

"Do you think it will take you all evening?"

"Possibly. I'm pretty tired."

Concern was written on Heero's face. "You really ought to rest now."

"But I can't—"

"Don't give me that. You need to rest up for your trip tomorrow. And I want you to take it easy at this conference, too." Relena sighed while Heero's eyes scanned her. "You look terrible, Rel," he said in as gentle a voice as possible.

Relena glared at him. "Gee, Heero, you sure know how to make a girl feel special."

"I'm serious." He brought his face closer to hers. "You look like you haven't slept or eaten in days. What about your low blood sugar? Are you taking care of that?"

"Heero, you're not my doctor." Relena stood shakily, clearly annoyed. "I can take care of myself." She forgot about her broken ankle momentarily and stumbled back. Heero caught her by the waist, and she blushed sheepishly. For once she wished she could be right about something with him.

"You're not doing the best job," Heero said with a slight smirk. "And you've lost even more weight since I saw you last." He grabbed her wrist for emphasis, and Relena snatched it back indignantly.

"I have not! I'm exactly the same."

"I don't believe you. You look ten pounds lighter."

"I'm telling you, I'm not!"

"Only one way to find out..." With that, Heero picked Relena up like she was an infant and carried her off.

"Heero! Put me down this instant! Where are we going? What about my crutches?"

"You won't need them."

"_Heero!_" Relena saw they were headed in the direction of her bedroom. "I really don't have time for this!"

"I'm making time," He replied. Once inside her spacious suite, Heero passed her sitting room and opened the bedroom door. There, he deposited her on her bed, knowing she wouldn't be able to bolt up with her broken ankle.

"What are you doing?" She demanded.

"Getting you some rest."

"Heero, I don't—"

"Relena, I'm telling you that you won't last at this conference. You need to stop worrying about those papers and get some sleep."

Relena sighed. "Heero..."

"I want to do what's best for you. And if you won't take care of yourself, I will." Heero leaned forward and looked into her eyes intently. "Just do me a favor and try to get some sleep, okay?"

Relena matched his firm gaze, then sighed. "Okay."

"There," Heero murmured, brushing her bangs back with his hand. "I'll be around if you need me."

"All right." Relena lay back on her pillows, and Heero pulled a blanket over her.

"Sweet dreams," he spoke in his low monotone. The phrase sounded a little funny coming from him, which made it all the more endearing to Relena.

"Thank you, Heero," she whispered.

"Don't mention it."

Relena smiled as her stoic friend shut the door. She decided that, just this once, she'd concentrate less on her work and more on her health. Besides, it was never a bad idea to follow Heero's advice.

Heero looked at his watch, relieved that he had finished the last of Relena's paperwork. It had only taken him a little over an hour to find the calculation errors and correct all of the copies. He printed the last one off and stacked everything neatly on her desk. He was glad he was able to get done so quickly what was taking Relena all afternoon to do. He wished he could accompany Relena to this conference so he could stay by her side and look out for her. Secretly, he was worried about her failing health and newly-broken ankle. He didn't see how she kept going in her state, and he was worried to send her off to Japan while he had to stay behind in Europe. Heero made a mental note to come back to the Sanc Kingdom and check on Relena before he headed back to the States. It hit him that he didn't know how long she'd be at this conference. He decided he'd come back in the next few weeks, and hopefully find her here, safe and sound.

Not wanting to disturb Relena, Heero went to the room she always had reserved for him and laid down for awhile, knowing he also needed rest. He regretted not spending the day with Relena, but he knew that her health was more important. _Besides, I'll see her when she comes back from Japan_, he told himself. Heero glanced at his watch once more and knew he needed to get to the airport soon. First, he decided to jot Relena a quick note and leave it on her bedside table.

_Relena,_

_Sorry I couldn't stay, but I had a plane to catch. Don't bother to get up after you read this. Your paperwork has already been taken care of. Have one of your maids pack your suitcase and stay in bed. And make sure you get something to eat. Have a safe trip and good luck at the conference. I'll come to see you again in the next few weeks... God knows I can't wait another three months._

_Yours, _

_Heero_

Heero silently debated whether or not to sign it _love_ instead, but decided to leave it as it was. Relena wouldn't be expecting that anyway. Quietly, he made his way back to her room, opening the door slowly and carefully. He looked in and saw that Relena was fast asleep. She still lay on her back, her broken foot propped up on a pillow. Her face was turned delicately to one side, and her chest rose and fell beneath the blanket. Her blonde, silky hair flew out all over the pillow, and her closed eyes were fanned by her dark lashes. Heero lightly placed his note on her night stand and stood over the sleeping beauty. Then, ever so gently, he leaned down and brushed his lips against her cheek. He was tempted to kiss her lips, but the two of them had only shared a few kisses in the last few years, and he didn't think she'd appreciate him stealing one while she slept. After that, he crept out of the room silently and prepared to leave the kingdom of his secret love once more.


	2. Unexpected Secrets

**Chapter II**

**Unexpected Secrets**

Heero waited in the hotel lobby patiently, surveying the room's lavish splendor. The room was decorated in deep, rich shades of burgundy and purple, perfect for no less than royalty. However, Heero was waiting for a politician, not a king. He had arrived in Paris about an hour earlier, and it had taken a while to gather his luggage and find the hotel. Heero had to admit that he was not very familiar with Paris, and was glad he had an opportunity to work there so he might have more time to explore it. Of course, he was annoyed that while he was on the same continent as Relena for once, she would be leaving for Japan the next day. He tried not to think about that now, knowing he had to get into his work "soldier" mode, since that was what was expected of him. However, he was quite different now than he had been in his Gundam pilot days. While he had always had a kind, gentle demeanor buried deep within him, it was finally beginning to surface. Thanks to Relena, he had found his lost humanity. But when it came to being a Preventer, he put on his poker face and stuck to business as usual. Only around Relena did he reveal anything different, and there were still secrets he kept from her. He promised himself that one day, if anything came of his relationship with Relena, he would tell her everything he kept hidden.

Heero shuffled his feet and checked his watch, making sure he had the correct time. This was the third time zone he had been in today, and it was beginning to wear him out. His body was thoroughly confused, but he knew he could adjust soon. France, after all, was just an hour's difference than the Sanc Kingdom, and he had just begun to get used to it there before he had to leave. Heero wondered how Relena would feel tomorrow, since Japan was several hours ahead of Sanc. She had mentioned her flight was early in the morning, so by the time she got to Japan it would be late afternoon. He was sure she'd be fine; she was used to traveling. He was only worried about her physical condition and hoped she would find more time to rest after the conference.

_There you go again. You're letting Relena distract you from your work. _Heero looked around. _Well, I guess it's not so bad, considering I haven't started working yet. _He wondered if Relena ever had conversations in her head like this about him. Before he could dwell on the notion, however, a blond man appearing to be in his early forties approached Heero with an entourage in tow.

"Heero Yuy, I presume?" The man asked in an even baritone.

Heero just nodded curtly, and the man stuck out his hand.

"I'm Myles Donovan, the one who hired you." Heero shook his hand, and Myles stood back and studied Heero for a moment.

"I've heard you're the best Preventer out there," he complimented him.

Heero just shrugged. "Thank you."

Myles seemed satisfied and smiled. "Sorry, but I've been a little apprehensive lately, ever since the assassination attempt. I want to make sure that my family and I will be guarded by the most competent person, and I've heard that you're it."

"I'll do my best, Sir."

"Just call me Myles. There's no need for formalities when you're practically going to be one of the family for a while." The man was warm and gentle, reminding Heero of an older version of Quatre.

Myles dismissed his other bodyguards, then gestured to the elevator. "Come with me, Heero. My family is waiting to meet you upstairs. We have a lot to do in a short amount of time if we're going to be ready for that conference tomorrow."

Heero's eyebrows shot up for a second, but he instantly concealed his shocked expression. "Conference? And where's that?"

"Tokyo." Myles looked a little concerned as they entered the elevator. "You didn't know?"

"No, I wasn't told about it."

"That's strange." Myles rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "You should've been informed. I'm sorry about that."

"It's no problem," Heero assured him. _No problem at all, _he thought. "Is this the ESUN conference?"

"Yes, it's annual. I missed the last one, though, and I'm lucky to be alive for this one." Myles seemed to be only half-joking, which Heero understood. It was a strange and haunting thing to have a brush with death and survive.

The elevator dinged then, catching their attention as they reached the tenth floor. They exited and headed down a long, ornately decorated hallway. They stopped at one of the rooms, and Myles slipped a card into the slot on the door. The door opened to a massive suite decked out with coaches and lounges. On one of them sat a young girl who looked bored out of her mind. She had chin-length hair the same shade as Relena's, a deep honey blonde, and bright green eyes. She seemed to perk up when Myles and Heero entered the room and bounded off the coach toward them.

"Hello, Father! Are you finished with your meetings?"

Myles chuckled. "Yes, those were the last of the day. Have you finished packing for tomorrow?"

The girl nodded, but she looked cross. "I don't see why we have to jet off for Japan, though. We just got here! I wanted to see more of _this_ country." She looked longingly out the enormous picture window.

"I promise we'll come back sometime, just for vacation."

The girl just sighed. "You always say that," she muttered under her breath.

Myles looked at her sympathetically but said nothing to her. Instead, he turned to Heero.

"Heero Yuy, I'd like you to meet my daughter, Cecilia. I will be placing her under your care for the duration of your stay with us."

Heero looked at Myles, his eyebrows raised. "But I thought..."

"I have several bodyguards who will accompany me to this week's meetings, and I'm not concerned that I will be attacked again. However, I do fear for the rest of my family and want to make sure they're out of danger. Cecilia is used to being alone while I'm working, but I'm no longer comfortable with that. I've heard that you've been hired by Relena Peacecraft several times, so I know you will be more than capable of protecting my daughter."

"I see," Heero said with a nod. Inside he was practically fuming. _I've been hired to baby-sit?_

Cecilia turned around and eyed Heero curiously, and he assessed her as well. Something about her reminded Heero of Relena when she was younger. This girl couldn't be any older than fifteen, but she had an inner strength and maturity that Heero could sense. Cecilia smiled.

"I'm happy to meet you, Heero. We can have fun together."

_Fun?_ Heero thought. He just gave Cecilia another nod. Before anyone could say anything else, one of the bedroom doors opened. A young man entered the parlor, yawning and stretching his arms above his head. He looked like a younger version of Myles, with sandy blond hair and eyes the color of slate.

"There you are, Blair. I was justgoing to get you. This is Heero Yuy, who will act as a bodyguard for you and Cecilia."

Blair looked at his father incredulously. "I don't need a bodyguard, Father. I'm nineteen years old and can take care of myself."

"This is for your own good, Blair. I'm trying to take the best precautions here. We don't know how strong these terrorists are, and I'd never forgive myself if something were to happen to either of you."

Blair just rolled his eyes skyward.

"Be grateful," Myles said sternly, "that I didn't hire a whole army of guards to look after you. You'll have more freedom with just Heero with you rather than a bunch of men following you everywhere."

"Wouldn't it have been safer to hire more men?" Blair eyed Heero doubtfully. "He doesn't look strong enough to fend off a group of terrorists."

Now Heero was annoyed. "Appearances can be deceiving," was all he said. Blair just sniffed acrimoniously.

"Heero's correct," Myles interjected. "He happens to be the top Preventer _and_ a former Gundam pilot."

A shocked look crossed Blair's face. "Did you say Gundam?"

"That's right. He is the one responsible for saving the earth and the colonies just a few years ago and is quite possibly the most skilled warrior on the face of the earth. He is unquestionably the best man for the job." Heero merely lowered his head, self-conscious over Myles' praise.

Blair almost looked impressed. Almost. "Well, what do you know? A Gundam pilot. Maybe hanging around you will teach me a few things."

"Hn," Heero murmured. "Maybe." There was something about Blair that Heero didn't like. He looked vaguely familiar to Heero, but he couldn't put his finger on how. Whatever the case, Heero knew it wasn't a fond remembrance.

"I'm sure you'll all get along just fine," Myles said jovially, clearly trying to ease the tension lingering in the air. Heero surveyed the two kids, knowing that his work would be cut out for him.

"Now, I want the two of you to finish packing whatever you need for tomorrow and get some rest. Heero, I'll show you your room for the night. Come this way." With that, Myles led Heero to one of the bedrooms in the large suite, leaving the two Donovan kids behind. _Thank God, _he thought to himself. He really hoped he would run into Relena at this conference for a chance to get away for a little while. _Who am I kidding? _He thought as he entered the spacious bedroom and set his suitcase on the four poster bed. _This is my job. I'm not going to be able to get away from it. And Relena's going to be very busy and probably under a great deal of stress. Spending any time with me is probably the last thing on her mind..._ Heero continued to think of that as he entered his private bathroom and got ready to take a shower. He also thought of Blair. Not only was he annoyingly cocky, but Heero couldn't ignore the nagging feeling that he'd seen him somewhere before. _Just forget it for now, _he told himself. _You'll think of it eventually. Not like it really matters. _Heero just hoped this guy wasn't some sort of enemy he was trying to forget. Brushing these worries aside, Heero stepped into the shower and coaxed himself to relax. He had a busy day ahead of him, and now was not the time to agonize over such trivial matters.

The following day, Heero surveyed his surroundings in relief. Finally, after an agitating flight with the "loveable" Donovan kids, they had made it to Tokyo. Heero felt very comfortable here, mostly because he was Japanese himself and that the city reminded him of New York. Heero smiled inwardly, glad that he knew how to read all the signs around him while his companion Blair could not. Heero felt strangely competitive with Blair, even though they had just met yesterday. Blair had sat next to Heero on the plane and asked question after question about being a Gundam pilot. He was bold enough to brag that he had taken martial arts courses and could probably "take" Heero. Heero did his best to ignore him, which wasn't hard considering the way Cecilia kept flirting with him. It was only difficult to ignore both of them at the same time. Together they were a force to be reckoned with.

"Wow!" Cecilia gazed up at the towering skyscrapers and colorful billboards. "This place is amazing! When can we look around?"

"As soon as we check into the hotel, you're free to go," her father chuckled, "as long as Heero goes with you."

"Looks like he'd make a pretty good tour guide," Blair said, pointing out the fact that Heero was Asian. "I bet you know this place like the back of your hand."

Heero shook his head. "No. I've never been here before."

"Oh, that's right. You're from the colonies. I guess that's different, huh?"

Heero didn't have a lot of patience for people like Blair but decided to ignore him once again. He could grit his teeth and bear it for the next few weeks. He'd have to.

"This is so cool!" Cecilia tugged on Heero's arm excitedly. "I can't wait to take a tour of the city!" She gazed up at Heero adoringly. "Do you speak Japanese, Heero?"

Heero rolled his eyes inwardly. _"Hai,"_ he answered in a low tone.

Cecilia squealed in delight. "Ooh, you have to teach me!"

"Maybe later," Heero glowered. This was not fun. Then again, Heero wasn't one to know how to have fun in the first place. They entered the large international hotel/conference center and checked in. The place was decorated in a very Asian fashion, which Heero found appealing. Relena would probably like it too, since it was something different than what she was accustomed to. _Relena._ Heero prayed silently that she was here. He didn't know if he could make it here without her. Strange; normally Heero wouldn't allow himself to depend on anyone else, especially a girl. But Heero felt Relena was far stronger than himself, so he gave her protection and support while she leant him her strength and comfort. If she was here, she would be arriving soon, since the Donovan party had left Paris early in the morning as well. It was late afternoon in Tokyo, and soon they would be eating dinner. Heero wondered what the Donovan's plans were, and was about to ask Myles if he needed to have Cecilia and Blair back in time for dinner when something caught his eye. Something white and slender. It was only for a second, but Heero saw the back of a blonde girl wearing a crisp white suit dress. She disappeared down another corridor, but Heero knew without a doubt that it was her. _Relena_… He thought of following her but knew it would be impossible with the excess baggage he had to look out for. He looked back at Blair and Cecilia. _Later,_ he thought. _I'll find her. _

Heero didn't have to wait much longer. Myles finished checking everyone in, and the party headed to the elevator. Heero rode with them in silence to the twelfth floor, but the elevator stopped at the fifth floor. The door opened, and there she was. She didn't see Heero at first, and he didn't say anything to alert her. No one else seemed to notice her either. Myles had his backed turned to her, talking to another delegate. Blair was looking for something in one of his bags, and Cecilia was too busy staring at Heero to notice anyone else. Heero continued to watch Relena, waiting for her to look up. All he could do was admire how radiant she looked in that white suit of hers. It almost made her glow. Her long hair was swept back, including her bangs, showing off her clear skin and bright blue eyes. Those crystal-like orbs blinked. _There._ Relena and Heero made eye contact. A look of surprise crossed her face, then she smiled, and he half-smiled back, relieved.

Relena carefully made her way over to Heero, though it was difficult in such a cramped space with her crutches. She was delighted that no one else had seen her and made a big fuss over her. She wanted a few moments with Heero before everyone started talking to her at once. She reached him in the back of the elevator, then squeezed behind him and hid herself in the corner. Catching on, Heero turned to face her, concealing her presence from everyone else.

"It's good to see you," Relena whispered in his ear. "I'm so glad you could be here."

"Me too," Heero said in a low voice, also directly in her ear. "Will you have time to see me?"

"I think so. Are you free tonight? We could have dinner together."

"I doubt it, but I can try. I have to watch Donovan's kids."

Relena frowned. "Even Blair? He's our age."

_She knows Blair. _Heero let the thought register, but he still couldn't recall how he knew Blair. He'd ask her more about that later. "Well, Myles wants everyone to be safe. But I don't know if I'm on my own for dinner or not."

"I know!" Relena's eyes lit up. "I'll invite them, too! That way you'll be sure to be there."

She squeezed Heero's hand. He almost felt himself blushing, but was glad she had thought of that.

"Good idea. Why don't you ask them now?"

Relena let out a quiet giggle. "Because I like hiding back here with you." She looked up at Heero, her eyes dancing.

Heero suddenly felt warmth rush over him, and wondered if it was his emotions for her or the fact that they were in such close proximity. Or… both. He continued to keep a steady gaze on her until he felt the elevator stop, and everyone began to shuffle out. Heero had no choice but to follow his party. To his surprise, Relena followed him out.

"My suite's on this floor as well," Relena explained to him.

"Oh," he murmured. "Where?"

"This way." She continued to follow him at her slow pace. "We might be neighbors," she said with a smile.

_That'd be nice,_ Heero couldn't help but think as he stayed behind his group to walk with Relena. Then Myles stopped in front of a door, and Relena was about to walk to past. She tapped Heero on the arm and leaned in to whisper in his ear once again.

"I'm down the next hall, to the right," she informed him. "Room 1201. Got that?"

Of course he could remember that. He was a Gundam pilot, after all, and a room number was far less complicated than a long series of intricate data on Wing Zero, all of which he still remembered. But he just gave Relena a reassuring nod, and she graced him with another one of her dazzling smiles.

Blair and Cecilia had already gone into the room when Myles turned around, noticing Relena for the first time.

"Why, Relena Peacecraft! It's so good to see you. What happened to you, my dear?" Myles motioned to Relena's foot, and she laughed delicately.

"I'm fine. It's just a small stress fracture," Relena dismissed his concern. Myles nodded as Relena continued to speak. "I'm glad you could come to the conference. It will be good to hear your opinions on the latest matters. I would like to learn more about Jamais Paix this week."

"And that you will. Our organization is very proud of its accomplishments," Myles said.

"As you have every right to be," Relena complimented him.

Myles was beaming, and Heero could see why. Relena seemed to know how to make everyone feel at ease, and she wasn't just giving vain flattery, either. She was always sincere in every encounter, which was one of the reasons she made such an ideal diplomat.

"Tell me, Miss Relena, do you have dinner plans yet? I would be honored if you would join my family tonight."

Relena flashed a smile, and glanced over at Heero. "Why certainly. It will be nice to see everyone again."

"Let's meet in the lobby at six o'clock, all right?"

"That will be fine. See you then," Relena slowly turned her heel to leave, giving Heero another glance over her shoulder. "You too, Heero. Stop by sometime."

Heero just nodded, not sure how to interpret what had just transpired. Was it safe to assume that he was automatically invited to dinner with the Donovans? He hoped so, since Relena originally asked him alone to join her for dinner. He was debating whether or not he should ask Myles, wondering if that would seem a bit forward, when Myles spoke to Heero.

"You seem to know Miss Relena well." The diplomat paused thoughtfully. "Surely your acquaintance goes back to the war, correct?"

"Huh?" Heero was caught off-guard, then recovered. "Yes. We're…old friends."

"I see. Then of course, you'll come to dinner with us also?"

"Is that part of my job?"

"Naturally, I would like you to accompany my children no matter where they go, including family meals. But feel free to come to me if you need some time for yourself during the day, and I'll have another one of my bodyguards stay with them."

What a gregarious offer. "Thank you," Heero said with a slight bow.

Myles chuckled, amused by Heero's gesture, unaware that it was a common Japanese practice to bow to elders. "No need to thank me, Heero. You are doing my family a great service by coming here."

"No problem." With that, the two men entered the suite to unwind before dinner.

About two hours later, the Donovan party ended up in an upscale Japanese restaurant. Heero had managed to get a seat next to Relena, but found himself sandwiched between her and Cecilia. Relena kept smiling at Heero sympathetically as Cecilia asked him to say Japanese phrase after phrase, as well as read the menu to her—in Japanese _and_ English.

"Say it again, Heero!" Cecilia giggled.

Heero sighed, but complied to her wishes. "_Ii restoran. _A good restaurant."

Cecilia clapped her hands together happily and repeated the Japanese phrase. "What's the other one you taught me? The food is delicious?"

"_Tabemono-ga oishii desu."_ Heero's voice sounded deep and rich as he spoke his native language.

Cecilia struggled to echo the words, since Heero shot them out so quickly, so he let her sit there and try to say them over and over. _That'll keep her busy for a while._

_Poor Heero,_ Relena thought, chuckling inwardly. Relena had never heard him speak so much Japanese. She didn't even know he was fluent, since his English was so impeccable. Then again, Relena's first language was English, but her French was quite decent as well. She began to think romantically for a moment, that she could teach Heero some French in exchange for a few Japanese lessons. She giggled aloud, and Heero eyed her strangely. No, he'd never go for that. _Oh well, it was a cute idea!_

She began to wonder where Blair was. Myles said he had disappeared with a few of the bodyguards earlier to do some sightseeing but that he should've been back by now. The only people in their group now consisted of Heero, Cecilia, Myles, a delegate from Sweden, his two bodyguards, Relena and her bodyguard, Wesley Ferris. Wesley appeared to be in his mid to late twenties and had dark brown hair and eyes to match. A former Alliance lieutenant, Wesley now supported Relena and her peaceful philosophies. He was tall, strong, and a good bodyguard, but still no match for Heero, although few people were.

Relena cast a sidelong glance at Heero as he read more of the menu to Cecilia. Relena found herself blushing as she watched him, becoming more and more drawn to him as he spoke with his dark tones in Japanese. Soon she found herself staring at his dark shock of hair and deep blue eyes. Her eyes took in his attire as well. He had dressed very handsomely that evening in a white dress shirt and dark gray pants. However, Relena wasn't the only one with eyes for the "Perfect Soldier." Other girls seemed to take notice of him as well, and a Japanese girl sidled up to their table to talk to him.

"_Konbon-wa! Dochira kara desu-ka?"_

Heero looked up at the girl with a blank expression. _"Naze desu-ka?"_

The girl flushed but didn't skip a beat. _"Kamaimasen. Watakushi-no namae-wa Uriko Okamura. Nara-kara desu."_

Heero nodded. _"Heero Yuy. Yorokonde."_

Relena didn't need a translator for that phrase; she recognized it instantly. _Heero Yuy. It's a pleasure._

The girl smiled. _"Tokyo-ni sunde imasu-ka?"_

Heero shook his head. _"Iie. Niyu Yoku-kara desu."_

The girl looked disappointed. _"Oh… Dono kurai koko-ni taizai desu-ka?"_

Heero shrugged, then replied, _"Su nichi."_

The girl brightened. _"Doko-ni tomatte imasu-ka?"_

"_Mawari-ni."_

The girl looked flabbergasted by that phrase. Relena was really curious about what they were saying to one another.

The girl put her hands on her hips, raising her voice a little. _"So, do shimashita-ka? Anata-ga taihen sukidesu. Anata-mo watakushio sukidesu-ka?"_

Heero shook his head again, then slipped his arm around Relena. Both the girl and Relena looked at him in surprise, and he said in his monotone, _"Kore-wa onna-no-ko desu."_

Cecilia's eyes widened. "Heero, what did you say to her? She looked angry!"

Heero shrugged. "Not much."

"Come on! Tell us what she said! How are we supposed to learn Japanese if you don't _tell_ us?"

Heero glared at Cecilia before caving in. "Fine. She walked up and asked where I was from. I asked her why she wanted to know, she said no reason. Then she introduced herself as Uriko Okamura and said she was from Nara. I introduced myself, then she asked if I lived here in Tokyo; I told her no, I'm from New York. Then she wanted to know where I was staying and how long I'd be here, and when I wouldn't tell her she got mad and left."

"Wow," Cecilia breathed. "Amazing."

Heero raised an eyebrow. "Why is that amazing?"

"You're so good at speaking two languages. How do you do it?"

Heero looked at Relena warily, but she only smiled at him. Then she attempted to answer Cecilia. "Heero lived in a colony that had descendents from Japan and America. Right, Heero?"

"Hn," came the stoic reply.

Cecilia seemed to be thinking to herself, then piped up, "So why did you gesture to Relena?"

"Huh?" Heero turned to look at Cecilia.

"When you were talking to that girl, she didn't get mad until you put your arm around Relena. What did you say, 'Leave me alone, this is my girlfriend'?" Cecilia giggled.

Heero felt his face get hot. That's almost exactly what he had said; he had simply uttered, "This is my girl," when Uriko had asked why Heero wasn't interested in her. He hated when girls were aggressively flirtatious, especially since he only thought of Relena. But he wasn't about to admit that out loud.

"Nothing," was all Heero said, his arm still around Relena's shoulders. Relena blushed, and Cecilia kept giggling. Heero was about to say something else when Blair came to the table, followed by two large bodyguards.

"Good evening, everyone. I'm sorry I'm late. I was eager to do some sightseeing before dinner and lost track of time." He flashed a smile, showing off white, even teeth. Everyone greeted him and made more room at the table. Relena scooted closer to Heero, and he made no move to remove his arm from her shoulders, since she didn't seem to mind.

Then Heero saw something he wished he hadn't. When Blair caught sight of Relena, his whole face lit up, and he rushed over to her.

"Relena!" Blair squeezed in next to her, making the area even more cramped. "It's so good to see you! I didn't know you were going to be here. How have you been?"

"Just fine, Blair, and you?"

"Much better since I found you."

Heero rolled his eyes.

"It's been so long since I've seen you," Blair continued, gazing into Relena's eyes. "It's been like, what, three weeks? A month? Forever!"

Relena just smiled and nodded, and Heero couldn't tell if she was taken with Blair or not. She was polite with everyone, so it was impossible to tell what she really thought of her admirer. Heero could only hope that she found him as irritating as he did, but that was unlikely; Relena seemed to find the good in everyone.

Blair noticed Relena's crutches propped against the table and began firing questions at her about that, and Heero's thoughts drifted away from their conversation. That's when it hit him—he remembered how he knew Blair. He had seen him once at a charity ball that Relena had convinced Heero to escort her to. Blair had cut in one of their dances, but Heero didn't actually meet him until yesterday. He had been annoyed at the guy then and was even angrier now. Was he trying to steal Relena from Heero? And was Relena putting up a fight at all, or did she already have a thing for Blair? Heero continued to wallow in doubt. Did Heero and Relena even have a relationship? How close were they? They never called each other boyfriend and girlfriend and were never acknowledged as a couple, except when their friends teased them. So what _was_ he to her? Heero's head was swimming. All he knew was that he couldn't wait to get out of the restaurant. Cecilia interrupted his steam of thoughts.

"How do you say, 'Japanese people are cool?'" She asked.

"_Nihon-ho hito-wa miryoku teki desu," _Heero answered automatically. He let out a low sigh and continued to stare at Relena as she engaged in a lighthearted conversation with the man Heero now considered his enemy.

Heero spotted The Enemy later that evening, standing outside of Relena's suite. Heero was headed there to visit her, since she had said to him earlier, "Stop by sometime." He figured it was as good a time as any, and he wanted to find out about Blair. Perhaps he was overreacting a bit, but Heero wanted to know where he personally stood with Relena. Was it finally time to deepen their relationship? Heero thought so, since he was getting so jealous over what was probably only an innocent friendship. Then again, he had reason to wonder.

He hung a right and headed down the corridor, looking for room 1201. He didn't have to look far, because he saw Relena and Blair standing at the door. Both were turned sideways to Heero, facing one another. Relena's back was against the door as Blair looked down at her, talking in hushed tones. Heero stopped in his tracks, then ducked stealthily behind a large potted plant to spy. He knew he shouldn't, but a combination of curiosity and over-protectiveness guided his motives behind the espionage. He watched as the two talked for a moment, then felt his eyes widen in shock and horror as Blair leaned down and kissed Relena full on the lips. Relena's eyes widened and she looked around while he kept his mouth pressed firmly against hers. Finally, he broke away, leaving Relena breathless.

"Goodnight, Princess," Blair called to her as he headed down the hallway from the direction Heero had come from. "See you anon." He winked at her.

Relena smiled faintly. "Goodnight, Blair." Heero watched Relena's expression change as soon as Blair turned his back to her, and wondered if she enjoyed kissing him or not. Now Heero really had a reason to despise this guy. Once Blair was gone, Heero emerged from behind the plant and walked over to Relena, who was turning to go into her suite. Heero stopped the door with his hand before she could close it. She looked up and gasped.

"Oh! Heero! Thank God it's you. You frightened me for a moment."

Heero glowered at her, his eyes burning like two dark, hot coals. "Did you think I was Blair, coming back for seconds?"

Relena lowered her head. "I had no idea he was gonna kiss me. I…"

"Save it. It doesn't matter. I just wish you had told me about him sooner." Heero raised his eyes and met hers, and for a split second Relena thought she detected a hurt expression. Heero quickly covered it, if it had been there at all.

Relena couldn't believe what she said next, but the words escaped before she had a chance to recapture them. "It really meant nothing… I mean, I'd much rather get a goodnight kiss from you."

Even Heero looked surprised by that confession. He instantly recovered and gave Relena a small smile. Then, ever so gently, he tipped her chin up with his index finger and trailed it up to her mouth.

"I won't kiss you again until you wash your lips." His deep, husky voice made Relena shiver. Then, as quickly as he came, he spun around and left Relena standing alone in her doorway, puzzling over what had just transpired. Finally, she just shook her head and made her way inside her room, wondering what on earth she was going to do about Heero… And Blair.


	3. Love Is a Battlefield

**Chapter III **

**Love Is a Battlefield**

Relena awoke the next morning shivering, and she snuggled deeper into her blankets to combat the cool breeze coming from her window. It was early, and Relena's body was still adjusting to the new time zone. She hadn't slept well last night, since she was up worrying about Heero, and was reluctant to get up. The thought of a hot shower, however, lured Relena out of bed as she imagined the warm water cascading over her. She carefully swung her legs over the bed and reached for her crutches, then hobbled her way to the bathroom.

Once in the shower, the events of last night came back to her. Relena didn't know what to do. She liked Blair, but had nothing more than a friendly interest in him. He, however, had misinterpreted her affections. Once she set him straight, she should be able to deal with Heero. Relena and possibly everyone who knew her well knew that she loved Heero; except, of course, for Heero himself. Relena knew that she should tell him, so they could finally clarify their relationship, but she wasn't going to say anything until Heero told her how he felt. She knew this was a long shot, but she wanted to wait for it. Relena had been the instigator of everything else in their relationship, and she wanted to make sure Heero really loved her before she said it to him; otherwise, she would worry that he was merely echoing her words. Relena was secretly paranoid that after all this time, Heero had only stayed with her because he knew she loved him and didn't want her to be alone in her feelings. She knew that seemed stupid, but she couldn't help but be insecure with a guy who never told her anything.

In a way, maybe this whole thing with Blair wasn't so bad. She could always use it to make Heero jealous, and it would either make him fight for her or drive him away. Relena hoped that, after years of knowing one another, Heero would do the former. Surely he wouldn't let a four, almost five, year relationship slip through the cracks? Then again, maybe Heero didn't think they even _had_ a relationship. Relena sighed as she shampooed her long hair. She knew it was nigh-on impossible to get the Perfect Soldier to confess his deepest feelings to her, but she was going to try. Relena finished rinsing her tresses. _Whatever it takes, Heero._ Relena turned off the shower and reached for her terrycloth bathrobe. She stepped out of the shower and studied her reflection in the mirror. She looked like a strong and determined person. If she could negotiate treaties with men three times her age, surely she could win over the man she loved. She gave the mirror her warmest smile. _Whatever it takes..._

Heero was in agony. Okay, maybe that was a little extreme, but it was the closest to absolutely miserable he'd been in a long time. He'd spent the whole day taking Cecilia around the city, and she was even more insufferably annoying than she had been at the restaurant last night. She bought a Japanese dictionary and carried it with her everywhere, walking up to random people and introducing herself. The people were usually very friendly to her, but it embarrassed Heero nonetheless. Now Cecilia punctuated all of her sentences with _hai_ (yes), _iie_ (no), and _mochiron_ (of course). Plus, she ended every conversation with _Nihon-ho hito-wa miryoku teki desu _(Japanese people are cool). It was more than Heero could take.

Of course, he had to admit that Tokyo was very beautiful, but he would be able to enjoy it much more if he could be with Relena instead. _Of course, she probably prefers Blair's company,_ Heero thought miserably. He was now lying on the couch in the Donovan's sitting room, listening to Cecilia giddily try to teach one of the other bodyguards some Japanese phrases. To Heero's chagrin, the guy was actually trying to learn them. Blair was out, as usual, seeming to want nothing to do with Heero or Cecilia. In that way, Heero understood where he was coming from—Cecilia could be torture to be around. However, Heero didn't hate him any less for kissing Relena.

Worse than that, Heero was brooding over whether or not Relena reciprocated the obvious feelings Blair had for her. All she had said was that the kiss "meant nothing." Had it really? Was Relena being honest with Heero? He had to find out. First, he had to find her; then he could properly interrogate her. However, he didn't know when she would be out of her meetings. Heero had been out with Cecilia all day, and it was nearly dinner time now. He could only hope that Relena didn't already have plans. He stood up and headed for the door. He would go ask her himself. She should, he reasoned, be done with her meetings by now.

"Where are you going, Heero?" Cecilia's voice piped up. "Can I go, too?" Heero turned to face her.

"No. I'll be back later. You'll be safe here with..." He motioned to the other bodyguard, whose name escaped him.

"Fernando," the burly man replied in a thick Spanish accent, puffing out his chest.

"Right," Heero said in his monotone.

"Okay, bye!" Cecilia chirped. "I'll see you at dinner! You can sit by me!" The girl giggled vapidly.

"Yeah, sure," Heero muttered; then he hurried out of the room and down the hall to Relena's. It was a relief to finally get away from his charge for a while. He reached Relena's suite and rapped loudly on the door, but no one answered. He guessed Relena was still in conference, so he decided to wait outside until she came. _This is pathetic,_ Heero thought as he leaned his back against her door. _But I'll do just about anything to keep her from Blair._ He narrowed his eyes. _Whatever it takes..._

Twenty minutes later, Heero was still wondering what was keeping Relena when he saw Blair coming down the hall… headed in Heero's direction. Blair was dressed in a gray tailored suit and carried a bouquet of red roses. Heero felt anger rising inside him and tried his best to suppress it.

"Hey, Heero!" Blair called out. "What are you doing here?"

Heero felt foolish, not wanting to answer, "Waiting for Relena." Instead, he grunted, "I should ask you the same thing."

Blair grinned. "I'm here to take Relena out." Heero rolled his eyes inwardly._ I never would have guessed,_ he thought sarcastically. Blair looked around, as if he expected Relena to pop out of her room any second.

"Um… Is she still in meetings?" He asked, finally. Heero nodded. "Oh." Blair scratched the back of his head. "I guess I'll just wait with you then."

"No!" Heero found himself spouting.

A puzzled look crossed Blair's face, and he stiffened his back indignantly. "Why not?"

"I, uh…need to talk to her about something. Alone."

"Oh, okay." Blair relaxed his shoulders. "Well, could you tell her I came by if she gets back soon? Tell her I'll be by in a half-hour or so."

Heero shrugged. "All right."

"Thanks, man. I'll see you around." Blair flashed him a toothy smile and strode down the hall toward the Donovan's suite.

As soon as he disappeared, Heero punched a fist into the wall. Now Relena was going on a date with Blair? When did all this happen? Unless he was planning to surprise her, it appeared that Blair had made dinner plans with her. Heero was annoyed that Relena would make plans with Blair instead of him. Hadn't she said that she wanted to spend as much time with Heero on this trip as possible? Maybe he was imagining things. Heero, whose back was pressed firmly against the wall, slid down to the floor and sat with a hard thud. Placing his head between his knees, he failed to notice the figure above him.

"Has someone been waiting for me?" Heero snapped up his head at the sound of Relena's voice. She smiled down at him. She looked beautiful as always, dressed in a white blouse with navy dress pants and a matching blazer. Today she wasn't balancing carefully on her crutches, however; she sat in a wheelchair. Heero bolted up.

"Where did you get that?" He asked, more gruffly than he intended.

"The hotel manager gave it to me for the week as an alternative, and it's much easier to get around this way." Relena broke into a smile. "I could race you." Heero's eyes widened and Relena couldn't help but laugh at his serious expression. "Relax a little, Heero. You look extremely stressed." She stopped giggling and peered at him more closely, trying to perceive what was wrong with him. "Are you okay? It's Cecilia, isn't it? That girl can be a real handful, huh?" Heero just shook his head. "Well, what's wrong then?"

Heero sighed inwardly. _How am I supposed to answer that without sounding like a pathetic sap? Relena, I'm jealous of you and Blair. Please go out with me instead. Please. No, that's too desperate. She'd never understand—she doesn't even know how much I actually care about her, which is probably why she's dating Blair in the first place. But maybe if I actually try to do something about it… No! It'll never work._

Heero resigned himself to his fate. She was the princess, he was the soldier. Maybe not anymore, technically, but they still had a world of differences between them. Heero didn't think he could ever tell Relena how he felt, no matter how many times he tried. _I_ am _pathetic!_

"Heero? Hello?" Relena waved her hand in front of his face. "Please, answer the question; I want to know what's bothering you."

Heero exhaled. _Here goes. _"I came to see if you were busy tonight." That was the truth.

Relena smiled at him. "No, I'm not, not that I know of—oh, shoot!" She glanced at her silver wristwatch. "I forgot all about—"

"Blair?" Heero finished for her.

Relena flushed. "Er, yes." She lowered her gaze from his dark blue eyes, which looked almost black at the moment. He was angry.

Heero stuffed his hands in his pockets. "I…thought you weren't interested in him."

"I'm not," Relena admitted.

"Then why go out with him?"

"He asked me last night if I'd have dinner with him, and I figured why not? It's between friends." Heero looked at her skeptically. "That was before he kissed me," Relena pointed out. "Before that, I had no idea he was interested in me romantically. I plan to set him straight tonight."

"And how do you plan to do that?"

"Simple. I'll tell him I don't reciprocate his feelings. He'll understand; we've known each other for a long time now."

Heero drew a sharp breath, immediately hoping Relena didn't notice. "How long?"

"About two years. His father usually attends the same conferences as me. Well, of course he does, since we're both pacifist delegates and all." Relena paused and looked at Heero closely. "Is that what you're upset about? My relationship with Blair?"

_So now it's a relationship?_ Heero dropped his gaze to the floor. "I don't know."

Relena sighed. "Well, you should know after all this time, Heero." Heero tore his gaze away from the floor to look at her. He became shocked by the words she was speaking. "You and I have known each other for almost five years now," she said. "We've been through a lot together, and even though we don't see each other all that often, I still care for you a great deal. I think you know that. We both live alone with our separate lives and jobs keeping us busy, but you always show up when I need you. And I appreciate that. But I can't keep going on like this. One of us has to decide what we want, and where we plan on going from here. And if you're not going to step up to this, then I guess I have to. I can't wait any longer."

Relena kept her eyes firmly locked on Heero's until he finally broke their gaze. He felt the air growing thin and swayed a little on his feet, suddenly dizzy. Had she meant what she said? _She doesn't want to see me anymore?_ Heero reached out his hand for the wall and leaned against it to steady himself.

"Well, if that's what you want, I have no choice," he murmured. "Goodbye, Relena." Regaining his composure, he spun on his heel and left her in front of her door, thoroughly perplexed.

"Heero? Where are you going?" He didn't answer her and rounded the corner quickly. Relena blinked in shock. _What just happened?_

She took a deep breath and tried to recall what she had just said to him. She certainly didn't think she'd said anything to produce that kind of reaction. Relena was only trying to hint to Heero that he needed to tell her how he felt about her, since she'd waited so long to hear it. She wanted to say that to him without spelling it out, figuring he would get the message. Apparently, her words had backfired on her. Heero must have taken it that she didn't want to wait for him anymore and, therefore, wanted to date Blair instead. The last thing Relena wanted was to drive Heero away; she'd have to talk this over with him, this time more clearly… Unless, of course, she had misinterpreted Heero's reaction entirely. Maybe he knew exactly what she was trying to tell him, and he was so repulsed by it that he didn't want anything more to do with her… Maybe he had never wanted to be more than friends with her in the first place.

"This is so confusing!" Relena cried out loud, dispelling the rapid stream of thoughts racing through her head. "Heero, you're making me crazy! Tell me you love me already! If you don't, then leave me alone!" Relena covered her face with her hands. She took a few more deep breaths to calm down, then unlocked her suite door and wheeled herself inside. She had to get ready for her dinner with Blair. Maybe after she talked with him, she could work everything out with Heero. She was a diplomat, after all; negotiation was what she lived for. Surely if she could settle disputes on total pacifism versus the right to bear arms, she could solve the daily problems in her own life… Right?


	4. Just Communication

**Chapter IV**

**Just Communication**

True to his word, Blair showed up at Relena's door half an hour later. She emerged wearing a demure yellow dress and a pair of white ballet flats. Her right ankle was wrapped in a gauze bandage, and she still balanced herself on her crutches, but save for those things Blair thought she looked like a goddess.

He grinned and held out his arm. "Shall we?"

Reluctantly, Relena looped her arm through his. This couldn't hurt, could it? She still planned on setting Blair straight about her feelings, but there was no harm in having a little fun first… was there?

Blair took Relena to a restaurant specializing in French cuisine, hoping it would be a hit with the European politician and former queen. Relena thought this was very considerate, since she was in Japan and knew very little, if any, Japanese. With a French menu in front of her, she almost felt at home. To her relief, Blair spoke a little French as well, and the two found themselves conversing in it. They fell naturally into a rapid dialogue together, and Relena couldn't remember the last time she'd talked so much with someone outside of a diplomatic situation. At times, she even found herself shaking with laughter. _Will things ever be like this with Heero? _She wondered. Blair laughed at something she said in French and flashed a wide, little-boy grin. Relena sighed inwardly. _Of course not. He'll never look at me like that._

But did that mean she should throw everything she had with Heero away … for Blair? Relena knew she didn't feel that strongly about her blond friend. She thought he was a fun, outgoing guy, but she felt the same way about her best friend's husband-to-be, Duo Maxwell. No, she realized, she didn't have any romantic feelings for Blair. She decided then and there that she would continue to just be friends with him… and see about getting Heero some anti-depressants.

The evening continued to go smoothly, but Relena found herself relieved when dessert was served. She was having a nice time with Blair, but couldn't wait to get back to Heero and reassure him that nothing had happened on her "date." She could see that she ruffled Heero when she said that she was "stepping up." She knew he would be too stubborn to admit his feelings, so she hoped that telling him about her night with Blair would ease his panicked mind… not that the Perfect Soldier would ever call himself panicked. Perhaps, once he realized that he hadn't lost her yet, he would do his best to keep her; at least, that's what Relena hoped.

A waiter brought Relena and Blair crème brulee to split, since she had told Blair that she was too full to eat an entire dessert herself. As the two leaned closer together to share the sweet treat, Blair seized the opportunity to try and kiss Relena. She turned her face just in time, and his lips grazed her cheek. He blinked, surprised.

"Is something the matter, Relena?" He scratched the back of his head in confusion. "I…thought this was going really well."

Relena reached out and grasped his arm. "It is, Blair, but there's just one problem… I'm not interested in you romantically."

Blair's face fell. "You're not?" Relena gently shook her head and gave Blair a sympathetic smile.

"I'm sorry," she said. "I know you tried really hard to make this evening special, and I really appreciate that, but…"

"There's someone else?" He finished for her.

Relena nodded. "I'm afraid so."

Blair lowered his head and sighed. "Well, may I ask who the lucky guy is?"

"Sorry, but no. I like to keep my private life just that."

"Yeah, private." Blair shook his head. "I guess it makes sense. I mean, you live all by yourself in that giant castle… must get pretty lonely at times. I should've known you would already have a boyfriend."

_Boyfriend? _The word took Relena by surprise, and Blair noticed.

"Oh, let me guess—you and this guy don't go by titles, do you?"

Relena felt her face getting hot. "Titles?"

"You know, boyfriend, girlfriend?" Blair raised an eyebrow. "No? Nothing?"

Relena lowered her eyes, fixating them on her lap. "Not…exactly, no."

A mischievous look glinted in Blair's eyes. "Well, then, looks like I've got a chance after all."

Relena's eyes shot up at him. "What do you mean?"

Blair grinned. "Well, if this guy won't acknowledge someone as wonderful as you as his girlfriend, then what have I got to lose? I'd treat you better, any day."

Relena shook her head desperately. "No, Blair, it's not like that—"

Blair held up his hand, interrupting her. "Hey, Princess, I'm not gonna worry about it. I know you'll come around to me eventually. And when you do… I'll be waiting with open arms."

Relena tried to smile, but inside she was panicking. How had she gotten herself into this position? She suddenly felt like she was outside of her body, observing the scene between her and Blair as if she was watching someone else play her part in a movie. She felt powerless to stop what happened next.

"In the meantime," Blair was saying, "I have a little something to tide you over."

She saw Blair pulling a small black velvet box, tied with a pink satin ribbon, from his breast pocket. Her eyebrows shot up in alarm.

"B-Blair!" She stammered. "What's going on?"

He laughed. "Stop panicking, Relena. It's just a present." Gingerly, he handed her the box. Her hands trembling, Relena opened it to see a princess cut three-carat canary yellow diamond balanced delicately on a white gold band, surrounded by a circlet of tiny white diamonds. She gasped.

"Blair! I don't understand? I told you I'm not interested…"

To her horror, he slipped the ring on her left finger.

"Relax, Relena. It's only a friendship ring. See?" He pointed to the large diamond. "Yellow. The jeweler told me it's the color that symbolizes friendship. And you're such a good friend to me, and I care about you so much, that I wanted to give you something to express that." He looked at her with puppy-dog eyes. "Please accept my gift, Relena. After all you've done for my family with your pacifism, it's the least I could give to you." Relena didn't know what to say, but Blair's eyes continued to plead with her.

Finally, she shook her head. "Blair, I'm sorry, but you know I can't accept this." She paused to look at her left hand. "And you put it on this finger? You know I can't wear it… What would people think?"

Blair only blinked at her innocently. "Since when does the Vice Foreign Minister care so much about what people think?"

Relena's face flushed. "I know it sounds trivial, but I just can't wear this, Blair. You know what I feel for you—that is, what I don't feel for you."

The once-confident suitor lowered his eyes. "I know, Relena." Suddenly, he looked up her, his green-gray eyes swimming in emotion, something she rarely saw in Heero's eyes. "But you also know how I feel about you. All I'm asking is that you don't forget that when you go back to your non-boyfriend."

Relena's head was reeling. Her non-boyfriend… _Heero?_ Blair was right, but she wouldn't let that get the best of her. She couldn't. Trying to ignore Blair's comment, Relena went to pull the ring off her finger; it felt like a weight, pulling her down and dragging her spirit along with it. But the ring wouldn't budge—it had to be two sizes too small.

"Blair!" She gasped. "What size is this?"

He shrugged, looking nonchalant. "I wasn't sure about your size, so I had to guess. I know you're really tiny, and I told the jeweler that, so he gave me a size four."

Relena groaned. "That's my dress size, not my ring size!"

Blair merely shrugged again. "How was I supposed to know? I'm a guy; I don't know the difference."

Relena sighed. "Well, I guess I'll have to stop by a drugstore on the way back and see if I can get some petroleum jelly to get this off." Relena glared at him. "I'll get it seared off, if I have to."

Blair pouted. "I'm sorry this upset you so much, Relena. I had no intention—"

This time Relena held up her hand to interrupt. "Then you should have thought about giving such an expensive ring to a girl you claim to be just friends with. This is the type of thing you only give to someone you love."

"But Relena, I care for you a great deal…"

She shook her head. "You don't love me, Blair. I know that. The only reason you spend time with me at these conferences is because I'm the only girl here your age."

Blair stuck out his chin defensively. "That's not completely true. Believe me, a guy like me is never at a loss for company." Relena rolled her eyes at that, but Blair continued, unabashed. "But there's something different about you, Relena. You're so much smarter and more mature than most people our age, and I find that very attractive. When I'm around you, I feel stronger, like there's nothing I can't do." He took her chin in his hand. "You make me want to be a better person."

Now Relena's head was swimming. Wasn't this the very thing she'd been waiting to hear from Heero?

"I'm sorry, Blair," she said weakly. "I still want to be friends with you. But I can't do this." She closed her eyes and sighed. "Please take me back to the hotel now. I'll get this ring off tonight and find a time to give it back to you tomorrow."

Blair shook his head. "No, please keep it."

"That's very generous of you, but I just can't. It would…"

"Make the man you love jealous?" Blair cocked a tiny smile. "Maybe that's not such a bad thing, Princess; maybe he'll finally get around to calling you his girlfriend."

Relena laughed aloud. "Maybe so. But I'm willing to wait to hear that from him. For now, I can only be true to my own feelings." She grasped Blair's hands in her own. "Please understand."

Blair swallowed hard and nodded. "I think I can do that."

"Wonderful." Relena gave him a sincere smile. "Now, we need to get going. I have to take off this ring before a tabloid photographer snaps us together and posts pictures all over the internet." She looked at Blair with a teasing grin.

Blair laughed, looking a little nervous. "Uh, let's hope not." Taking Relena by the elbow, he guided her out of the restaurant.

Heero sat sulking outside of the hotel's large conference room. Myles had gone in for a private meeting while Cecilia swam in the hotel's indoor pool. From this vantage point, Heero could keep an eye on both places at once. Cecilia splashed happily in the water, swimming with two other girls who were also daughters of diplomats. While listening to their girlish squeals, Heero could also hear muffled voices from within the conference room.

So far, his job was going ideally. Cecilia, though a bit annoying at times, proved to be easy to look out for. She attempted to follow Heero everywhere, but other than that she stayed out of trouble. Her making new friends today had allowed Heero a little more time for himself, and he found himself pondering his situation with Relena more than he could usually do while on the job.

As he sat there, Relena was out with Blair on their "date." Heero could only hope that The Enemy wouldn't try to kiss her again and that, if he did, Relena would slap him in the face. The thought of that almost made Heero smile. His daydream of Relena putting snotty Blair in his place was interrupted by a voice from his pocket computer.

"You have a new message. Urgent," the automated woman's voice chimed.

Heero pulled the computer out of his jacket pocket and flipped open the top. The video message was from Sally.

"Heero, we've received some reports about possible danger at the ESUN conference. I know you're there now with Donovan. I'm sorry I failed to mention that you would be accompanying him to Japan, but the message came in last minute. By then you were already on a plane to Sanc, so I figured I might as well let you find out from Donovan himself. Nevertheless, this latest report was given to us by a member of Donovan's organization, Jamais Paix. The group has come under a lot of criticism lately for its commitment to total pacifism, and they've received threats from an insurgent group from the colonies that wants the rights to bear arms again. So far they've only made empty threats, but the diplomat we spoke to thinks that this group was the one that tried to assassinate Donovan. It could be that they're coming after him again, but I would keep an extra close eye on Relena, as well."

For a brief moment, Sally broke her serious tone and smiled over the vid message. "I'm sure that won't be a problem for you. But please be extra cautious. I'm not worried at all about your capabilities, but don't hesitate to call the Preventers for backup if the worst should happen. If you get back to me tonight, I'd be happy to send Trowa to help. He's here on Earth, for a change, and I'm sure you two wouldn't mind bonding while defeating terrorist rebels, something you both excel at."

Heero considered this. If the worst did happen, he didn't think he would need Trowa's help… but with the former Heavyarms pilot's excellent gift for stealth and strategy, he certainly didn't think having him around would hurt. Heero messaged Sally back.

"Sally, go ahead and get Trowa on standby. I'm not worried about the terrorists either, but I would be better able to watch Relena if Trowa could help me with Donovan's kids." He rolled his eyes. "His teenage daughter isn't too much of a handful, but I think Trowa would have more patience with her than I do. Tell him that I would be honored to share this mission with him."

Heero groaned inwardly; that had come out more corny than he had intended, but he didn't try to take it back. The truth was, he was looking forward to seeing Trowa again, and if he passed Cecilia and Blair off to him, he could finally spend more time with Relena. Besides, even though Relena had brought her own bodyguard, there were few people Heero felt he could trust with her safety.

As Heero closed out of his email, a headline on the site's news page caught his eye: "RELENA PEACECRAFT TYING THE KNOT! Diplomat's son proposes." To his horror, there was a picture of Relena, looking gorgeous in a sunny yellow dress, holding hands with Blair and looking deeply into his eyes. Accompanying that photo was a zoomed-in one of her left hand, showing the largest diamond ring Heero had ever seen. The picture had to be fabricated, he told himself. There's no way Relena was really wearing that… and holding hands with Blair… was there? Beads of sweat appeared on Heero's forehead. What was going on? His Relena… engaged to someone else?

Heero had to know the truth. He whipped out his cell phone and called one of Donovan's other bodyguards. Instead of a ring on the other end, he endured a painful ninety seconds of lively Spanish music before the man finally answered his phone.

"Hola, Heero!" Fernando answered. "Are you enjoying this lovely evening, mi amigo?"

"No," Heero growled. "I need a favor."

Fernando cleared his throat in an attempt to sound more serious. "Anything, muchacho, just say the word."

"I need you to come to the pool and look after Cecilia while I take care of something. I shouldn't be gone long."

"No problemo! I'll be there in two beats of a donkey piñata." With that, Fernando hung up the phone. Less than a minute later, Heero caught sight of the large, tanned bodyguard bounding down the hall.

"That was quick," Heero nodded at him. "Impressive."

"I was just down at the hotel bar with some of the guys," Fernando replied. "The guys" he referred to were a few more of Donovan's bodyguards; the man had hired more bodyguards than any other diplomat at the conference. Even Relena had only brought one with her, and she was usually the most sought-after politician. "You should come with us next time, Heero. It would be good to see you relax for once." He placed a friendly hand on Heero's shoulder. "You always look so tense, man."

Heero flinched. "Don't touch me." Fernando dropped his hand.

"Lo siento," he said, chuckling. _I really don't have time for this,_ Heero thought.

"Cecilia's in the pool with some friends and Myles is in the conference room. If you stay here you can look out for both. I'll be back within the hour." With that, Heero made his exit, heading for the elevator. Fernando stood laughing and shaking his head.

"That guy," he said to himself. "Always so serious. I wonder why he can't just chill out for once."

Heero was doing anything but that as he rode the elevator to the twelfth floor. He checked his watch. It was half-past nine. He didn't know when Relena would be back from dinner, but he didn't want to call her to find out. He intended to wait right outside her door and finally give her a piece of his mind. He had to get to the bottom of her relationship with Blair, or he knew he would go crazy.

Even now, he couldn't seem to control the emotions burning within him. Heero had always believed that he should act on his emotions, and dealing with Relena was no exception. When it came to their relationship, Heero had always come and gone as he pleased. There were times when he was so wrapped up in his job as a Preventer that he barely thought about her; then, when he was alone, he was sometimes so consumed by the thought of her that he had to board the nearest plane or space shuttle to see her. When he was like that, no distance could keep him from finding her. Once her saw her again, her mere presence filled the emptiness inside him; once he'd had enough, he would leave and wait to visit her again when the need arose.

Heero recalled what was possibly his most passionate moment with Relena. The two of them were on a colony that was about to explode, and Relena was about to board a shuttle to safety. She said goodbye to Heero from a distance and began to walk past him on her way to the shuttle. Before she could pass him by, he seized her arm, pulled her closer to him than she'd ever been and kissed her hard on the lips. Then he released the exasperated Relena and walked away.

Heero shook his head, chasing the memory away. He'd never dared to be so bold with her since. Perhaps it would have paid off, and she wouldn't be out with Blair now. Instead, Heero and Relena would be somewhere together, and he could have her all to himself. Heero couldn't believe he was thinking this way. He knew he cared for Relena, but he'd never allowed himself to explore the depth of his feelings. _Do I… love her?_

A soldier like Heero couldn't possibly understand love; at least, that's what Heero had always thought. He grew up unloved until he became closer to Relena. He knew she loved him by the way she looked at him and cared for him whenever he was around. When he'd come to her, she always had a room waiting for him and would attempt to make his favorite foods for dinner, even though her cooking skills left something to be desired. She put so much effort into showing Heero that someone cared for him that he found her affection almost motherly. That bothered him. He didn't like thinking of someone he was so attracted to as maternal, although he knew that Relena would one day make the perfect mother. But he couldn't bring himself to imagine Relena as the mother of his children; after all he'd done as an assassin, destroying the lives of families by killing their soldier fathers, how could he dare to hope for a family of his own?

Heero reached Relena's room and knocked on the door. To his surprise, she opened it. "Back already?" was the first thing out of Heero's mouth. _Ugh. Smooth_, he thought to himself.

In truth, the sight of her was enough to knock the wind out of him. She was no longer wearing the yellow dress she'd worn on her date, but had changed into a fitted pink tank top with thin straps and light gray cotton lounge pants. Her long blonde hair was swept up into a high ponytail, and her blue eyes regarded him curiously through her long black lashes. She looked adorable. Heero resisted the urge to take her in his arms and kiss her right then and there. No questions. No arguments. Just kissing. To his surprise, he was longing for her until he felt lightheaded. _What's… happening to me?_

He found himself moving closer to her. Relena didn't back away, but looked up at Heero sadly. He suddenly noticed the look on her face of pure misery. Heero's thoughts angrily turned to Blair—what had he done to upset someone as sweet and innocent as Relena?

Relena answered Heero's question without stepping aside to let him enter her suite. "Dinner didn't, well, go as planned."

Heero's eyebrows shot up in alarm. Then his eyes narrowed angrily. He moved even closer to Relena so that their faces were almost touching. "What happened? Did he hurt you?"

Relena bit her lip and shook her head. "No, Heero, I'm fine. It's just… Well, you were right about him, I think."

Heero glowered. "What's that supposed to mean? I never said anything about him to you."

"You didn't have to—I could tell what you were thinking when I told you he was taking me to dinner." Heero tried to conceal his surprise. Could Relena read his thoughts? Did she know what he was thinking right now? Was it safe for him to grab her and kiss her so they could finally forget about Blair?

Relena continued, "You don't have to say anything, Heero. I can tell when you're jealous." She smiled shyly.

All Heero could wonder was why they were still having this conversation in the doorway. He should be in her suite now, and they should be finished talking. He should be sitting on the couch with Relena in his arms.

It took him a second to register what Relena had said. "You think I'm jealous?"

"No," Relena said, smiling. "I know you are."

"Really." Heero didn't know what to say. How could she read his emotions so plainly when he worked so hard to disguise them? "Hn."

Relena couldn't help but laugh. "Heero, really, you can talk to me about this. We don't need to keep secrets from each other, do we? Surely we're more mature than that."

Heero moved closer. They were touching now. He forced himself to slip his arms around her waist, for once not caring if someone saw them.

"I hate to break it to you," he whispered in her ear, "but I'm not as mature as you think." This made Relena laugh again. Heero was enjoying this. Could he really make her happy? This was a hope he'd rarely dared to entertain.

"Well," he whispered huskily. "Are you going to let me in or what? I'm not into putting on shows in the hallway."

Relena's eyes danced. "I don't know, Heero. You seem dangerous tonight. What kind of mission are you on, exactly? Divide and conquer?" Her teasing took Heero by surprise, but he played along.

"No, strictly bodyguard duties. I think you need someone watching you _much_ more closely." Relena saw a glint of something in his eyes that she had never seen before. What was that? His eyes were burning through her, but she sensed no anger behind them. His Prussian blues were smoldering with passion. Heero… passionate about her? It was too good to be true.

Heero lowered his mouth to hers, but Relena stopped him by placing a finger on his lips. "Speaking of bodyguards, Wes is already here."

Heero's skin prickled at her touch, but he kept his cool. "Are you keeping all these guys around to make me jealous on purpose, or what?"

"So far it's working beautifully."

"We'll see about that," Heero said gruffly. Then it hit him—the reason he'd come here. To interrogate Relena about the internet pictures. Her womanly wiles had gotten him all hot and bothered and made him forget all about his purpose. He let go of her and pushed the door open.

"I came here to discuss something with you." Relena was shocked by his sudden change in demeanor. He quickly shifted into business mode as he stalked his way into her suite. Relena knew that it must be about Blair, but she was hoping that subject wouldn't come up after Heero had come here, seemingly intent on finally romancing her. _I should've known it was too good to be true,_ she thought. Self-consciously, she held her hands behind her back. She hadn't yet been able to get the ring off. Even Wesley had tried to help her and had to give up, jokingly suggesting that she have a surgeon remove her finger and sew it back on once the ring was removed. Relena, momentarily trading her pacifism, had almost slugged him.

As usual, Heero saw right through her. He moved close to her again and gently took her hands from behind her back. Even though he was clearly angry, Relena knew he would never hurt her. He gazed down at the ring on her left hand and seemed lost in thought for several seconds. Finally, he brought his eyes up to hers, shocking Relena with his hurt expression. Then, almost instantly, it vanished.

"Relena…" He dropped her hands and turned his back to her. "So it's true."

"Heero…" She reached for him, and he spun around to face her.

"He gave that to you, right?" Relena swallowed hard and nodded. "I should've known," Heero said softly. He clenched a fist at his side.

"Heero, wait a minute. It's not what you think…"

"I saw pictures of you with him on the internet, Relena. That's what I came here to ask you about. I forgot all about them when I saw you. For a moment I… I just wanted…" He closed his eyes. He wouldn't let himself continue.

"Heero." Relena moved close to him. "Please let me explain."

"What's there to explain? If you love him—"

"I don't love him, Heero!" Her voice rang desperately. "If I loved him then why would I let you be so close to me?"

"Close to you? You didn't let me kiss you." Heero's eyes darkened. It was a shift imperceptible to most, but Relena could detect his change in mood just by looking into his eyes. She had known him long enough.

"Then kiss me now, Heero." That was the wrong thing to say—Heero was no longer in the mood. He felt that he had finally opened up to her, only to get slapped in the face. Here she was, still wearing Blair's ring. If she didn't love him, then why didn't she refuse it?

"I can't do that, Relena. Not if you belong to someone else."

"But I don't! Why won't you let me explain?"

"I think you've explained enough. I have to go."

Before she could reach him, he bolted out the door. She did her best to follow him out, but it was hard without her crutches, which lay abandoned on the floor.

"Heero, wait!" He ignored her and continued to the elevator. Relena's head was spinning. How could those precious few moments have gone so completely wrong? Heero had come to her of his own volition, had attempted to barge his way both into her room and her heart, had held her in his arms and everything; he'd even tried to kiss her. What was wrong with her? How could she have messed this up? She looked down angrily at Blair's ring, and it glinted up at her menacingly. Why couldn't she get rid of this stupid thing? She feared that she had done irreparable damage to her relationship with Heero. What if he never let her explain herself?

"Whoa," came a voice from behind her. "What happened out here?" Relena turned her head to see Wesley emerging from his room.

Relena sighed. "Heero and I had an argument…"

"About Blair?" Wesley laughed while Relena glared at him.

"It's not funny, Wes," she snapped, sounding harsher than she meant to.

His manner changed instantly. "I'm sorry, Relena, it's just that the whole thing is so ridiculous." He settled himself down on the sofa and pulled Relena toward him to sit. Since she didn't feel like grabbing her crutches, Relena accepted his help.

"I know it is," she sighed. "But I meant to have this ring long gone before Heero saw it. Unfortunately, he had already seen Blair and I on the internet."

"It's his fault for not letting you explain yourself," Wesley pointed out. "So if he walks away from you over something this childish, it's his loss."

"Childish, huh? I suppose this seems childish to someone as old as yourself." She smiled playfully at her bodyguard, and Wesley laughed heartily.

"Listen, Kiddo, take it from someone who has already loved and lost: you have to know how to pick your battles. If Heero lets his jealousy ruin your relationship, it's his own fault. You can't go on blaming yourself—you've done the best you can."

Relena released another sigh. "You're such a big brother to me, Wes; what would I do without you?"

"Wallow in misery," he replied with a grin. But Relena wasn't smiling. She seemed lost in a world of hurt, and even a trained bodyguard couldn't protect her from that. "Hey," he said gently, "are you crying?"

Relena brushed her tears away with the back of her hand. "No," she lied.

Wesley frowned. "Do you want me to talk to Heero? Tell him what an idiot he's being?"

"Oh, please, no. Don't do that. Maybe he'll come around…eventually." Relena looked up at Wesley. "I have to keep on hoping. But I'm done trying to fix everything between us by myself."

"And you should be. I think you've put more much more time and effort into this relationship than he has. It's about time you made him do something."

Relena shook her head in disagreement. "That's not entirely true, Wes. Sure, I'm better at communicating my feelings than he is, but that's a problem as old as time for men and women." Wesley nodded in agreement. "Besides," Relena continued, "he shows me that he cares in different ways—even just by coming to see me whenever he can and always trying to protect me when it isn't his job to do so. And he came here and all but told me that he loves me, so I know his feelings go deeper than he'll say."

"I know that, too. That's why he's behaving like such a jerk. He's just as afraid of losing you as you are of losing him. I just wish he'd get more ballsy instead of running away from you." Wesley shook his head sagely. "He'll learn, one day. I guess he's still too young yet."

Relena sighed. "That's true. He's only twenty. Most guys his age don't have love figured out yet, do they?"

"Nope. People my age barely do."

Relena cocked an eyebrow. "Oh? And what exactly is your age, Mr. Ferris?"

He winked at her. "Too old for you, darling." Relena laughed.

"Well," Wesley straightened up from his sitting position. "Should we have another go at getting that ugly ring off?"

Relena held her hand out to inspect it more closely. "You think it's ugly?"

"Definitely. Very ostentatious. I'm sure Heero could find something that suits you much better."

Relena blushed. "Maybe someday…"

"Well, the sooner you get rid of Blair's ring, the better, right? Now I have an idea for emergency ring removal…"

"Oh dear," Relena said anxiously. "This better not involve bullets."

"Have no fear, Princess! Don't you trust your own bodyguard?" Wesley grinned wickedly. "We'll have that museum piece off in a jiffy." Wesley disappeared into his room, and she feared for the worst. Still, she would do anything to get the ring off if it meant Heero would come back to her. Wesley emerged holding a small pair of pliers.

"Ready?"

"Wes," Relena whined, "Surely there must be another way?"

"What other way? We tried ice, we tried soaking your hands, we tried dish liquid and petroleum jelly, and every other method we could find on the internet," he pointed out. "Now, I'm just going to crack that sucker open. Forgive me if I pinch your skin."

Relena gulped. "I guess there's no other way." She held out her hand to Wesley. "Do what you must."

_Heero,_ she thought. _Blair._ _I'll get you both back for this!_


	5. Anything At All

**Chapter V**

**Anything At All… **

Heero awoke on the last day of the conference feeling more miserable than ever. Now he'd really blown it with Relena, possibly to the point of no return. He knew he'd been an idiot when he ran out on her in the middle of her explanation. She was probably about to tell him that, like Blair's kiss, the ring "meant nothing." Heero didn't see how, unless Blair had somehow forced the ring on her and she couldn't get it off. He realized that was entirely plausible. But if she didn't want the ring, why did she look so happy in the internet pictures? _Perhaps Relena always tries to look nice when she's letting a guy down gently, _he thought _Or maybe she was faking it so she wouldn't hurt his feelings._ But Relena wasn't one to lie about her emotions. So what was going on? Heero mentally cursed himself for bolting before he could find out the truth from Relena; now he'd be lucky if she ever spoke to him again.

Heero was in the Donovan's hotel sitting room wallowing in utter self-contempt when Blair emerged from his room.

"Hey, Heero, how's it going?" Blair's greeting was harmless enough, but Heero knew better than to fall for The Enemy's niceties. He regarded him with a scowl. Then it dawned on him that he could get more information out of Blair if he pretended to be amicable. For the time being, he could stomach it. Heero spoke up.

"How did your… date with Relena go?"

Blair seemed shocked by Heero's sudden chattiness. "It went all right." Blair shrugged and took a seat next to Heero on the couch. "Could've been better, I suppose."

Heero raised an eyebrow inquisitively. "How so? Didn't you give her that big diamond? Everyone's been saying you two are engaged."

Blair's eyes widened, and he laughed heartily. "Hah! An engagement? More like a nice gesture gone horribly wrong."

"You mean… you didn't propose?"

"Of course not! I barely know Relena! I mean, I'm not gonna lie, I think she's gorgeous, and I'd love to date her, but I feel that way about lots of girls. I was only giving her the ring to impress her."

Heero nodded pensively. "I see."

"Engaged," Blair mused with a laugh. "Who's saying that, anyway?"

"The entire internet, for one thing. There were some pictures posted of you two looking pretty happy."

Blair dissolved into more laughter. "Yeah, happy. Sure. Relena must always look happy when she's telling a guy she's not into him. She really tried hard to make me feel better. Good thing I've got a big enough ego to recover from that kind of blow."

Heero couldn't help it—his heart leapt. Relena _had_ let Blair down gently, just like he suspected. He really needed to learn how to trust her without overreacting first. _I _am_ an idiot,_ he thought.

"I have a feeling things aren't over between us, though." Blair rambled on, and Heero's heart nearly stopped. _What now? _"I think she'll come to realize that I'm a much better guy for her than that jerk she's interested in."

"Who?"

"She didn't say—said it was private. But whoever he is, he sounds like a complete loser."

Heero felt himself growing hot. "What did she say about him?"

"Oh, nothing much. She told me she wasn't interested in me and I figured she must be in love with someone else. When she confirmed it, she looked really sad. I pressed a little more and found out that the guy won't even acknowledge her as his girlfriend. How sick is that? How could any guy lucky enough to have Relena in love with him resist calling her his girlfriend? It's completely beyond me."

_Dear God, _Heero thought. _What have I done?_

Blair didn't seem to notice Heero's shocked expression and went on talking. "Yeah, so when she dumps that idiot, I'll be waiting. After she's had a taste of dating a real gentleman, I don't see how she could go back to that loser. Guess I'll just have to wait and see." Blair stretched and reclined on the couch, clasping his arms behind his head. "I'm not worried about it, though. There are plenty of other girls to date in the meantime. Why settle down so young, you know?" Blair chuckled. "Man. To think people thought we were engaged…"

Thankfully, Blair was interrupted in his monologue by Heero's pocket computer announcing that he had a new message. Heero busied himself opening his email and saw a vid message from Trowa.

"Heero. I look forward to working with you again. I'll be in Tokyo at 1800 hours. See you then." Not wanting to send a vid message back with Blair in the room, Heero texted his reply to Trowa. He was unaware that Blair was watching him closely, observing how the muscles in Heero's face had constricted tightly.

"So, Heero," he chatted, not caring that Heero was in the middle of transmitting data. "You brought up this whole Relena thing for a reason, and you seemed bothered when I told you that she's dating a moron."

"Hn," came the reply. Heero didn't look up from his computer.

Blair scratched his chin thoughtfully. "Man… you don't have a thing for her, do you?"

Heero's head snapped up in attention. Then he calmed down. "No," he answered. "That's preposterous."

"I don't know… Didn't you use to work as her bodyguard or something?" Heero only nodded to confirm. "Then you must've had one of those employee-falling-for-his- sexy-boss things, eh?"

Heero gave him his patented death look. "Don't talk about Relena that way."

Blair let out a low whistle. "Wow, you really do like her, don't you? Want me to put a good word in? We're still friends, you know…"

"No. Just leave her alone." Heero's frankness took Blair aback, and he shook his head laughing.

"Geez, wouldn't want to upset a former Gundam pilot. I'll stay out of it. But if you're planning to make a move, I'd do it before the conference ends and she goes back to her loser non-boyfriend."

Those words struck Heero and hurt more than he was willing to admit. But he realized then and there that Blair wasn't a bad guy—a little cocky, but not much different from most guys their age. In a way, he reminded Heero of Duo.

"The only 'move' I'll be making is to keep Relena—and your family—safe."

"All right, then, I won't bother you about it anymore." Blair slipped out of the room, chuckling to himself. Once in the hallway, his own pocket computer alerted him of a message—an urgent one. It was a text telling him to get to the nearest vid phone. He couldn't risk going back in the suite where Heero was, lest he realize that Blair was up to something. Blair broke out in a sweat as he raced down the hall to a public vid phone. He dialed the number he'd been provided, and a man's shrouded face appeared on the screen.

"Blair," the man spoke. "I see that Operation: Venus was a success."

"Yes," Blair answered, shuddering. "I did exactly as you told me. The Vice Foreign Minister has been thoroughly occupied for the past few days. Since the whole conference is talking about her and I, none of the delegates are keen to your plans."

"Good, that's the idea. We're planning to strike at 1800 hours." Why did that number sound familiar to Blair? _Oh, yeah._ Heero's email said something about the same time. Blair panicked. Should he mention that now?

Blair bit his lip from blurting it out. Instead, something else slipped from his mouth. "What about my father?"

"Relax. We have a deal."

"Do you swear?"

"Hey, of course. He's no longer our target."

"What about Relena?" For a beat, the stranger didn't answer.

"Listen, you leave the logistics of this mission up to us," the man bellowed. "You're merely the decoy."

"I know, but I never intended to get Relena hurt. I care about her, so don't do anything stupid."

The man only laughed. "As long as our demands are met, we'll go out quietly. No one needs to get hurt… Only if they struggle. Don't forget that, kid." With that, the man hung up. Blair was left staring at a black screen, his heart nearly pumping out of his chest. What had he done? Should he go warn his father? And Relena? Blair spun around to find himself facing cold, hard steel—the barrel of Heero Yuy's gun.

"What the hell was that about?" Heero demanded. "Spill it. Before I spill your brains. NOW."

Blair began sweating anew. "W-wait, Heero, don't shoot me! I-I can explain."

"You sure as hell better start talking." Heero didn't relax his gun, waiting for Blair to speak.

"I don't really know who that guy is, or what he's planning to do."

Heero fingered his trigger. "Liar!"

"Hold on, I'm not finished! This rebel group contacted me…they're the ones who tried to kill my father. They told me they'd finish him off for good if I didn't comply with them."

"What did you do?"

"They asked me for information about this conference, its location, guides to getting around the building…" Heero continued to listen angrily. "And they asked me to distract Relena for a few days."

"_What?"_

"Yeah… That's why I spent all that time with her, took her out, bought her a ring… The idea was to have her too preoccupied with her love life to notice what was happening behind the scenes, since she's usually so alert."

New worries emerged in Heero's mind. "The ring," he glowered, "where did you get it? Did they give it to you to give her?"

"No, no! I bought it myself. It's genuine, I swear."

Heero moved closer to Blair, threateningly. "You'd better be telling the truth. If I find out you tried to hurt her in any way…" He dropped the rest of his words, but Blair didn't need to hear them to know Heero was serious.

"I swear, that's all that's happened. That was my role. I don't know what they're planning to do, only that they promised not to hurt my father if I helped them."

"And you believed them? You're a bigger idiot than I am."

Blair looked surprised. "Why are _you_ an idiot?"

"Because I've been hired to look out for things like this, but I've been too preoccupied…" Heero stopped.

"…with Relena," Blair finished. Realization dawned on him. "No wonder you've been in such a lousy mood these past few days—I was practically all over your woman! Hah!"

Heero pressed the gun to Blair's chest. "Can it. We need to warn everyone, now." He relaxed his weapon, but not his stern glare. "Move out."

Relena and Wesley exited the suite together, heading to the last meeting of the conference. Relena carefully made her way down the hall for the first time without her crutches or a wheelchair. Frankly, she felt they were doing her more harm than good. Her ankle was feeling stronger already, and Wesley agreed with her that she should try putting a little weight on it; after all, it had been weeks since she'd broken it, and it had to heal sometime.

Now if only her broken heart could do the same. Relena hadn't spoken to Heero since the fiasco in her room the other night, and at this point, she didn't want to. She decided that Wesley was right; Relena had done her best, and it was up to Heero now to decide whether he wanted to fix things or not. All he needed to do was come to her and give her a chance to explain her side of the story. But Relena knew this was easier said than done, and it would take a lot for stubborn Heero to admit he was wrong.

As she and Wesley passed the Donovan's suite en route to the elevator, Heero and Blair headed toward her, as if they had been waiting for her. She lowered her eyes, not wanting to deal with either one of them right now, but she still had to give Blair the ring back. Heero didn't give her a chance to speak first.

"Relena," he said as he approached her, barring her way to the elevator.

"I don't have time for this right now, Heero," she sighed. "I still have one more meeting. We can talk after that."

Heero shook his head. "Relena, this isn't about you and me, this—"

"Of course not," Relena snapped. "It never is."

"Relena," Blair interjected, "you've got to listen to Heero."

Relena shook her head sadly. "I've given up on peaceful negotiations for now, at least in my personal life. Speaking of which…" She pressed the diamond ring into Blair's hand. "I need to give this back to you," she said with a faint smile. "I'm afraid it's done more harm than you intended." Then she pushed past Heero and stepped into the elevator. "See you after."

"Relena, wait," said Heero. Relena ignored him and pushed the elevator door closed, but Heero stopped it with his hand. He and Blair stepped into the elevator with her and Wesley.

"Heero, Blair, please," Wesley finally spoke up. "Can't you see how stressed Relena is? She doesn't need to deal with the two of you fighting over her right now, or whatever it is you're doing. You need to grow up."

Heero stared Relena's bodyguard down. "This has nothing to do with personal feelings. Relena and the other delegates are in danger."

This made Wesley's ears perk up. "What? How?"

"There's a rebel insurgent group on the premises," Blair said in a serious tone. Then he broke into a grin. "Damn, I've always wanted to say that."

"Blair!" Heero glared at him. "We mean it, Wesley. It's vital that you keep Relena out of that meeting at all costs."

Wesley's brows furrowed. "Why? Is that where they plan to strike?"

"Er, we don't actually know," Blair replied. "They said something about 1800 hours, but that's about it."

"And how do _you_ know so much about them?" Wesley asked Blair pointedly.

Blair opened his mouth to answer, but Heero cut him off. "He's helping me on this mission," he said.

Relena frowned. "Blair, since when did you start working with Heero?"

"I'd tell you, but it's, uh, top secret," Blair said with a wink.

"Well, I can't help you much if you don't fill me in," said Wesley.

"That's really all we know," Blair said with a shrug.

"Sounds like a hoax," Relena murmured. "I get empty threats all the time, and I'm certainly not worried about that now. Besides," she said, smiling at her bodyguard, "Wes will keep me safe."

"_Wes?" _Heero and Blair said in unison. Then they exchanged glances and nodded.

"We're going with you," Heero said.

"No!" Relena frowned at him. "I won't have you two charging around the conference room, looking conspicuous and getting everyone in panic mode. Especially in that." She pointed to the Preventer uniform Heero was wearing, which he'd carefully kept hidden until now. "If there's a problem, Wes can take care of it. He's very capable. He's the one who was finally able to get that ring off me, after all." She gave Blair a sad smile. "Sorry about that, by the way… You'll notice it's a little cracked."

"Don't worry about it," Blair replied. "I'm more concerned about your safety. I may not know much about this group, but they are the ones who nearly killed my father. I'd hate to see anything happen to you."

Heero's eyes echoed the sentiment, but he couldn't bring himself to tell Relena. Clearly she was still angry with him, as she had every right to be. But he couldn't let her anger compromise her safety. The elevator stopped on the third floor, where the last meeting was being held. Undaunted by Relena's protests, Heero and Blair followed right on her heels.

"Heero," she snapped, "stop acting like a guard dog. You're not coming in that conference with me. You can keep an eye out for terrorists out here if it will make you feel better, and I will speak with you afterward. For now, I need to prepare for my meeting."

Heero ignored her and followed her to the door, but she let it slam in his face. He turned the knob only to find it was locked. _You've got to be kidding me_, he thought. _I'm hired to keep diplomats safe, and I can't even get into their stupid meeting to protect them!_

"Now what do we do?" Blair mused.

Heero sighed and checked his watch. 17:20. "We wait," he replied.

"For what?"

"Reinforcements."

"Oh, yeah." Blair snapped his fingers. "That guy in your email! What's his name?"

"Trowa. Trowa Barton."

"That name sounds familiar… Was he a Gundam pilot too?"

"Yeah."

"Then no sweat! We've got this mission in the bag!"

Heero cocked an eyebrow. "What do you mean, we?"

Blair patted him on the back. "I'm here to help you, man! It'll give me a chance to redeem myself."

Heero merely glared at him. "Fine," he said. "But don't touch me."

Blair ignored him and looked around. "I bet the terrorists are already in the conference room."

"Probably. I hope Wesley took me seriously."

"I'm sure he did. That guy used to be an Alliance general or something, I heard. I'm sure he can hold his own."

But not like Heero. Neither of them said it, but they both knew it was true; if anyone should be protecting Relena and the other diplomats, it was Heero. Heero wasn't thinking of himself boastfully, but he was well aware of his capabilities and feared that Wesley would fall short.

At 17:46, Heero began to sweat. So far nothing had occurred out of the ordinary, but his soldier's instincts had him completely alert. He jumped over just about every move he heard from within the room, ready to strike.

"Take it easy, man," Blair prompted. "Nothing's happened yet."

"Quiet," Heero said. "I'm trying to listen."

Myles was giving the meeting's closing speech, and his microphone was loud enough to carry beyond the large conference room.

"And so, ladies and gentlemen, I want to thank you all for giving me the opportunity to share the principles of Jamais Paix with you this week," he was saying. "It is my hope for today and the future that the earth and colonies will continue to co-exist peacefully under ESUN's direction. My organization has great confidence in ESUN's many accomplishments, and we look forward to continuing to live weapon and war-free existences. To date, no mobile suits have been seen in over three years! We have one very special young lady to thank for her many contributions; because of her efforts, treaties have been signed by all the nations ensuring that all weapons of mass destruction have been eliminated. If not for the courage of Relena Darlian-Peacecraft, we might still be fighting this war."

Myles paused in his speech while the audience, a group of a hundred or more political leaders, erupted into applause. Relena was blushing from the attention when someone else took the stage behind Myles. The young man, who was tall with blond hair and tanned skin, was clad in a black business suit. It hit Relena that she had never seen him before.

"If not for Relena, you say?" The man spoke. Myles turned around, shocked by the interruption. The man roughly pushed the diplomat out of the way and took the microphone.

"You all rally behind a leader who is still a mere teenager," he continued. People in the audience just shook their heads. "You're all more concerned about her love life than her pacifism. Why do you want to follow someone who is still so young and foolish? How can you call her fit to lead as Vice Foreign Minister?" Relena was annoyed, and Wesley patted her arm in comfort.

"Don't worry," he whispered. "Someone will get that yahoo off the stage."

"I hope so," she whispered back, her eyes transfixed on the stranger speaking.

"Here we are at this ESUN conference," the man continued, "a conference celebrating another oppressive regime following closely in Oz's footsteps." The room gasped collectively. Who did this man think he was?

"What are you talking about?" Myles fumed. "ESUN is all about peace, not oppression."

"Get off the stage!" People began yelling.

"Silence!" The man bellowed.

Outside, Heero nodded to Blair. "I think it's time we made our move."

"We can't just barge in there now, Heero—what if the guy's unstable? Relena's in there, and my father… The man could have a bomb or something. We wouldn't want to do anything rash."

Heero's eyes narrowed. "Good point. We need to find another way in."

"No problem," came a voice from behind them.

Heero smiled at the sound and turned to see a familiar face. "It's good to see you again, Trowa."

"Likewise. I received the data you sent me about the building—there's a fourth floor vent that will lead us directly into the third floor ceiling. We just need to break in."

Heero nodded. "Roger."

"Roger that!" Blair said enthusiastically.

Trowa turned to face him. "And you are…?"

"Better save the questions for later," Heero interjected. "We need to get in that room and get everyone out, but we must use as much stealth as possible." He looked at Blair pointedly.

"Don't worry, Heero—it's not a problem," Trowa said. His green eyes flashed, anticipating action.

Heero scowled. "I'm not worried."

Trowa almost laughed, but he knew the former Wing Zero pilot was dead serious. The three men wasted no time and raced up a nearby staircase.

Inside the conference room, the outspoken stranger continued to denounce Relena and ESUN. The delegates and their bodyguards stirred anxiously, but no one dared to make a move. After watching Myles get shot only months before, the pacifist leaders were reluctant to try any risky maneuvers to silence the raving lunatic. They continued to stay in their seats, petrified.

"What does the Earth Sphere United Nation know about keeping the colonies safe?" The stranger pontificated. "It's all a bunch of lies, and all of you are propitiating those lies to the citizens of the colonies! You're no different from the Alliance or Oz—you're merely replacing them. Well, I'm here to tell you that the people of the colonies will not be oppressed ever again by an evil regime. We're here to take action, and you will fulfill our demands… or else."

The delegates all looked around the room frantically as a handful of other men in black suits stood up among the audience. There were five of them in all, staggered throughout the room, and they were all armed with handguns. Relena swallowed hard. She should've known something like this would happen. _This is what I get for being angry and ignoring Heero's warning!_

"Don't worry, Relena, you'll be all right," Wesley whispered. "I've sworn to protect you, and I'll fulfill that promise if it's the last thing I do."

Relena felt hot tears sting her eyes. That sounded like something Heero would say. She wondered where he was now. Would he still try to protect her somehow? Usually she could count on Heero to not sit still during a time like this, but she feared her harsh words had driven him away.

"What are your demands?" Myles asked the rebel leader shakily.

"We want the colonies to have the right to bear arms in case ESUN turns out to be another OZ, like we suspect it is," he answered. "Furthermore, we want ESUN to disband, relinquishing its hold on the colonies." This angered Relena. ESUN shouldn't have to disband—it _had _no control of the colonies. The government had finally united the earth and colonies together as one. Wasn't that what people from both places had wanted? Wasn't that unification what Heero and the other Gundam pilots had fought so hard to protect? "And we want $1 billion here by midnight, or we'll kill everyone in this room," the terrorist finished.

_You're wrong! _Relena wanted to yell. _You don't understand anything about ESUN, or pacifism!_ But there had already been enough attention on her, and Relena didn't want to be killed just yet. At least, not before she could say goodbye to Heero.

"Heero," she whispered. "Will I ever see you again?"

Heero, Trowa and Blair were racing against time. They could hear the terrorist's demands from their hiding place above the conference room. Finding the fourth floor vent had been all too simple, and that bothered Heero. He figured it was the same way the terrorists had managed to sneak themselves and their weapons into the room. _They're probably on to us, _he thought.

He wished he could see Relena from this vantage point, but he was directly above the stage where Myles stood and could see little beyond that. He knew the three of them wouldn't be able to enter the room unseen… unless there was some sort of diversion.

"This is going to sound terrible," Heero whispered to his two comrades. "But if someone were to actually get shot by one of the terrorists, we could take advantage of the commotion and drop to the floor."

Blair looked disgusted. "God, are you sick or what?"

Trowa shrugged. "It could happen. Just hope that if it does, it's not Relena."

"Or my dad," Blair interjected.

"Hn." Heero closed his eyes and waited, listening to the sound of panicked voices below.

"This sucks," Blair muttered, glancing at Heero. "I can't stand being in this cramped little space, waiting around for your twisted idea of a miracle to—"

The devastating sound of gunfire, followed by screams, resounded through the vents. Heero sucked in a breath and hoped to God that Relena hadn't been hurt. He knew he was being selfish, but he couldn't bear the thought of her being harmed. Nodding to Blair and Trowa, he lowered himself into the conference room; they quickly followed his lead. The terrorist on stage had been the one to fire the shot, and Heero saw a man in the audience's front row clutching his bleeding leg in pain.

"Let that serve as a warning," the terrorist sneered. "No one better try to leave."

"Stop this at once!" A female voice cried from the crowd. Panic rushed through Heero. _No! Not Relena. _"Get that man to a hospital!" There she was, in all her blonde fury, ready to take a stand and defend the weak. Heero cursed to himself. Why did she always have to be so caring about everyone? He knew that was something he'd always loved about her, but, in this circumstance, it was a rather inconvenient trait.

A dark-haired terrorist grabbed Relena from behind and quickly pressed his gun against her head. Heero abandoned his plan of stealth and whipped out his own weapon, aiming it directly at Relena's captor.

"Heero, no!" Trowa hissed, but Heero ignored him. Now everyone could see the Perfect Soldier with his gun, ready to fire. He was in an incredibly dangerous position surrounded by armed terrorists, but he felt Relena had it worse. He would much rather have all five of them gun him down than have a single one of them lay a finger on her.

Relena locked eyes with him from across the room. _Heero. Is this how it will end? After all this time…_

"Let her go," he spoke to the man holding Relena. "Now."

"Why should I?" The man leered. "You're the one who's surrounded." Sure enough, each of the terrorists had his weapon drawn, ready to subdue Heero. _So this is it_, he thought. _So be it._

The terrorist nearest Heero, whom he took to be the leader, actually fired a shot at Heero's head, but Heero turned to the side so that the bullet didn't even graze him. Everyone in harm's way ducked, and the bullet left a smoldering hole in the window. To Heero's surprise, the leader was stopped by Blair, who managed to wrestle the gun away. The diplomat's son was stronger than he looked, Heero noted. Across the room, three other terrorists had been subdued by Trowa and… _Fernando? _Sure enough, the burly bodyguard had two of the terrorists pinned to the floor under his tree trunk legs. He, Trowa, Blair, and Heero now held all of the weapons in the room, save for the man who was still holding Relena at gun point.

"You've been defeated," Heero spoke to man, who appeared to be in shock. "Put her down now before you get killed."

Suddenly the terrorist found his voice, and leered, "Aren't you Heero Yuy, the pilot from the colonies who saved Earth?"

Heero longed to pull the trigger and get this over with. "Yeah."

"Then why do you care what happens to Relena Peacecraft? She's a dictator hiding behind the guise of pacifism, along with the rest of ESUN. We're here to end their tyranny; as a fellow colonist, you must understand."

"You're wrong," Heero glowered. "Her pacifism upholds peace between the colonies and Earth. I fight to protect that peace."

The terrorist laughed maniacally. "You _fight_… for peace? That doesn't make sense."

"It makes perfect sense. Now let her go if you want to see daylight again."

"All this, coming from a pacifist?" The rebel scoffed.

Heero was painfully close to ending this dispute. "I'm no pacifist, but I'll do everything in my power to protect Relena and her ideals. Now _let her go_."

The man only shook his head and grabbed Relena tighter. "I just don't get it," he mused aloud. It was torturing Heero to listen to him any longer. "Why would a former Gundam pilot, a warrior, fight to protect the weapon-banning Relena Peacecraft?"

Heero glared fiercely. "I love her." A sudden hush fell over the room. No one moved. Time halted all around Heero. Relena was staring at him; even she looked amazed.

The terrorist laughed. "How pathetic. The former zero one pilot, a slave to love."

"I _said_ let her go now," Heero's voice boomed, "or I'll send you to hell."

Relena's captor sneered. "Then at least I'll be in good company."

The sound of two bullets shattered throughout the room. Heero watched in horrific slow motion as Relena slumped to the floor.

"_Relena," _he gasped. "RELENA!"

A/N: Want more? Tell me what you think... Feedback is essential, because your comments could help determine how this ends! Should Relena live or die? Perhaps I should ask you to vote on it... I know this story began as a romantic comedy, but since it is supposed to be like a soap opera, the pendulum swings from comical to dramatic- just like in real life. Anyway, please feed this story with your reviews!Ihope to post theconclusion sometime this week.


	6. For the One You Love

**Chapter VI**

**For the One You Love**

Once, a boy met a girl who was the princess of her own little kingdom. The boy transferred to the girl's exclusive boarding school, where he was instantly labeled the outcast—the poor war orphan, nothing but a disease to the pristine students around him. But the girl felt compassion for him and wanted to be his friend. By the time she reached out to him, however, it was too late. The boy was gone. Disheartened, the girl vowed to never miss an opportunity to reach out to someone in need.

A few years later, she had her chance. Another dark-haired, mysterious boy, this one hell-bent on being the outcast, transferred to her school. The students feared him and looked upon him in disdain, but the girl sensed his inner strength and wanted to learn from him. This time, she wouldn't make the same mistake. She introduced herself in vain after he left her in confusion. She invited him to her birthday party, only to have him tear up her invitation. Intrigued, she tried once more to reach out to him, level with him, but he pointed a gun at her face.

"_Relena."_ He'd spoken her name sweetly, with raw emotion in his eyes. Then, the way storm clouds appear out of nowhere on a clear blue sky, he changed. He whipped out his gun. "You're in over your head. Say goodbye, Relena."

Her eyes widened in shock, not only from seeing his drawn weapon, but from a revelation… a remembrance that struck her, hard. _I've seen him before, years ago,_ she realized. _I… know him. He's that same boy._

_**Maybe I've been here before**_

_**I know this room, I've walked this floor**_

**_I used to live alone before I knew you…_**

The girl and boy, the princess and the soldier, lent each other strength as they struggled, each in their own way, to bring peace to their war-torn era. After the war's final battle, the boy's broken-down body collapsed, and she ran to catch him before he could fall.

"_Heero!"_ She cried. She reached the fallen angel before he could touch the battered earth. "It's over," she whispered, holding him tight. He responded sleepily by snuggling closer against her, more serene than she had ever seen him. She stroked his hair and sighed. "It's finally over…"

**_I've seen your flag on the marble arch_**

_**Love is not a victory march**_

_**It's a cold and it's a broken hallelujah…**_

And now, here they were again, this time their places reversed. Heero found himself screaming her name, running to catch his own angel as she fell from heaven. He caught her in his arms, clutched her to his chest and felt a sob wrenching from his soul.

"_Relena!"_

Heero's gun had gone off at the same time as the other, and the terrorist's body fell beside Relena. The floor became covered in a pool of blood.

_**Maybe there's a God above**_

_**And all I ever learned from love**_

_**Was how to shoot at someone who outdrew you…**_

He looked at her beautiful face and was astounded to see that there was no blood on her. She _was_ an angel, even in death. Then he noticed a form hovering above them. Wesley. His arm was outstretched, holding a smoking gun. Wesley had shot the terrorist from behind. Heero looked down at the bleeding body beside him. _Then how…?_ He saw the entry path of his bullet and realized that he and Wesley had hit the man in almost the same spot. It meant Heero had become a killer again; but if those were the only two guns that had gone off, it also meant Relena was alive.

"It's all right, Heero," came Wesley's voice from above him. "She's only passed out."

Heero couldn't hear him. He was in his own world, his eyes swimming with emotion as he gazed into Relena's face. Had he really come so close to losing her? He knew better than most people that there was but a short space between life and death. She had nearly slipped to the other side before he could save her. Relief washed over him; he would weep for joy, except that he never cried. But before he could stop it, a tear forced itself out of his eye and streamed down his face. _What… is this?_ It was the strangest sensation he had ever experienced, and yet he didn't want it to stop.

"Relena," he whispered, stroking her face with one hand while the other kept her close. "Relena…"

Her dark eyelashes fluttered open, revealing those beautiful blue eyes he thought he'd never look into again. "Heero… Heero? Are you all right?"

His breath caught in his throat. He could only nod in response.

"Heero?" Relena's voice was bring him back. Bringing him home. "Are you crying?"

**_It's not a cry you can hear at night_**

_**It's not somebody who's seen the light**_

_**It's a cold and it's a broken hallelujah…**_

She brought her hand to his face and smoothed his tears away as if they had never been. This gesture brought him back to reality; he straightened himself up, slightly self-conscious, and cleared his throat.

"Relena," he began. "I've failed you. I had to kill the terrorist before he could shoot you. And if it weren't for Wesley, you'd be…" He couldn't bring himself to finish and cast his eyes to the floor.

"It's not your fault, Heero," her soft voice answered. "It's mine for getting angry with you. I should've heeded your warning. And this man," she said, gesturing to the fallen rebel, "chose to die long before you pulled the trigger."

"I suppose that's true," Heero said with a shrug. It didn't help ease his burden, however; he knew the death of this man would weigh heavily on his soul. He'd broken his vow to never kill again, but there's nothing he wouldn't have done to save her. He could feel the emotion rising inside of him again. Heero tried to suppress it for the time being to get back to business. "We should get him out of here, and get you to a hospital, just in case."

Relena shook her head. "Heero, I'm fine. It's not me you should be worried about."

"You're not fine, or you wouldn't have fainted," he intoned flatly. "I told you before to take better care of yourself." He gave her the sternest glare he could muster.

"But I—"

"No buts. What were you just saying about ignoring my advice?" His cold, steely gaze warmed, and a teasing smile tugged at his lips.

"All right," Relena sighed dramatically, causing her bangs to fly up. "I'll go. But know that there's nothing wrong with me; I only fainted from shock."

"We'll see about that. I have a feeling you're more exhausted than you're willing to admit. And now that the conference is over, I plan to stick around and make sure you finally get some rest."

Relena raised an eyebrow at him, a challenge in her eyes. "Is that so, Heero?"

He stared back at her, unblinking. "Count on it."

They stared at one another for a long beat. Relena was about to ask Heero if she'd heard him say what she thought he had earlier, when Blair raced over to them and interrupted her thoughts.

"Relena, I'm so sorry. Please forgive me for my part in this." Blair made a low bow.

Relena blinked, surprised. "What do you mean?"

"It's my fault the terrorists got in here. They threatened my father, and I was too much of a coward—and too stupid—to stand up to them." His shoulders sagged. "None of this would've happened if it weren't for me. I'm really sorry."

Relena placed a reassuring hand on Blair's shoulder. "It's all right. You were only trying to protect your family. There are worse things you could've done."

"Yeah," Blair said as he looked up at her. "Like pretend I'm in love with you so you'd be distracted while the terrorists made their move."

Relena's eyebrows shot up. "_What?_"

"I'm so sorry," Blair rushed. "I never should've led you on like that. I—"

"Wait a minute," Relena cut in. "You mean you never had feelings for me in the first place?"

Blair gulped and nodded.

"So then, dinner, the ring, all that nonsense… It was all pretend?"

"Yes." He hung his head. "Again, I'm really, really sorry..."

To his surprise, Relena laughed. "What a relief! I was worried that things would be so awkward between us from now on. I'm glad we can get past this."

Blair looked shocked. "You mean… you're not going to hold this against me?"

"No," Relena replied serenely. "Why would I?"

Blair scratched his head, baffled. "I thought you'd hate me once you knew the truth…" He let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. "This _is_ a relief."

"There's more good news where that came from," Wesley spoke up. "Our man here is still alive." He bent to gather the terrorist into his strong arms. "He's barely breathing, but if we get him to a hospital soon, he'll probably make it. It looks like my bullet punctured his lung, so he'll need surgery." Wesley looked at Heero. "I'm surprised; your shot hardly did any damage. Your emotions must've made you miss your mark."

Heero shook his head. "After the war, I trained myself to miss every time. I vowed to never kill again. And I won't break a vow I make…" He looked directly at Relena. "Not to anyone."

She found herself blushing, wondering just what he meant by that statement. There was so much she wanted to talk to him about. Before she got a chance, they were swept up in the commotion of the people around them. Paramedics arrived and took the injured terrorist away on a stretcher. They also tended to the man who had been shot in the leg earlier. They tried to persuade Relena to go to the hospital, but she shrugged them off. Before she could make a getaway, she felt Heero come up behind her. He slipped an arm around her waist.

"Come on," he murmured in her ear. "Let's get out of here."

She let him lead her out of the conference room and into the elevator. Feeling dazed, she leaned against him as they rode to the twelfth floor. His arms around her made her feel secure, but a question was still plaguing her mind.

**_There was a time when you let me know_**

_**What's really going on below**_

**_But now you never show it to me, do you? _**

"Heero," she said, at last. "I have to know."

"Huh?" His eyebrows lifted.

"Earlier… did you..." She struggled to voice what was on her heart, but the words finally tumbled out. "Did you say you love me?"

Heero stared at her, unwavering. "Yeah."

Relena could have fallen backwards. "So… it wasn't a dream," she whispered.

"No." He reached out his hand to brush her hair back. "I wouldn't lie to you." His eyes narrowed. "I'm not Blair."

"And I would never want you to be. Heero," she spoke softly as she moved closer to him. "To me, you're the only one."

Her words touched the deepest part of him, and he could hide his feelings no longer. Everything he'd kept buried rose to the surface as he looked at her. There was so much he wanted to say to her, but all that escaped his lips was, simply, "Relena…"

He titled her chin up to his and covered her mouth in a slow, tender kiss. She responded by wrapping her arms around his neck, deepening their embrace. He, in turn, tightened his grasp around her waist with one hand while the other stroked her long, silken hair.

**_Remember when I moved in you_**

_**The holy dark was moving, too**_

_**And every breath we drew was hallelujah…**_

At last, he'd allowed himself to get closer to her than he'd ever dared. Breathing her in was dizzying, and he felt as if he could absorb her very essence. He would have continued to lose himself in her, but the _ding _of the elevator when they reached their destination forced them to come up for air.

A little stunned, they separated and began the walk down the hall to her suite. Unwilling to sever their new connection, Heero laced his fingers through hers as they walked side by side. She smiled up at him adoringly, then fumbled with her key when they reached her door. After it opened, she shyly led him inside.

"All right," Heero said as they headed in the direction of her bedroom. "This is the part where I make you get some rest. So get to it." His voice sounded curt, but Relena could tell by the look in his eyes that he was teasing.

"Okay," she complied. "Then are you going to stay with me and make sure I listen to you this time?" She waited in the doorframe, giving him an open invitation. He shook his head.

"I should really speak with Myles. Now that the conference is over, I need to see what he has in mind for me next." He saw how the disappointment washed over her face, and how quickly she tried to mask it. Touched by her care, he gathered her into his arms. "But," he continued, "I also need to stay with you, at least until Wesley gets here. I could never leave you alone."

Her eyes brightened, and she moved aside to let him step into the room before shutting the door behind them. Almost as soon as he entered, he pulled her down onto the bed.

"I meant what I said earlier," he murmured. "So I'm going to watch you sleep."

Relena smoothed her skirt and regarded him coyly. "If you insist, Heero." She surprised him by snuggling up against him. He felt longing surge through him, and pulled her to him for another kiss.

After a moment, Relena broke away breathlessly. "I can't believe all of this is happening." Her blue eyes shone with excitement.

Heero continued to hold her close, and ended up playing with her hair. "I'm only sorry that it took so long. I'm not exactly good at expressing my deeper feelings, you know."

"I know." She giggled. "I'll have to tell Duo he was right."

Heero's eyes widened. "Duo?"

"He and Trowa had a bet going; Duo bet that you'd tell me you loved me before the year was out, while Trowa said it wouldn't happen before you were thirty." She giggled again.

"Hn." Heero gave her a half-smile. "Then I'll say it again. I love you."

Relena's heart felt so full, it could burst. "I love you, too."

After exchanging a few more whispers and kisses, an exhausted Relena fell asleep in Heero's arms. True to his word, he waited until Wesley returned, then slipped out of the room quietly.

Heero wanted nothing more than to stay with his new love, but he still had to take care of some unfinished business. He found Myles sitting on the couch in his suite, looking pensive. The diplomat stood as soon as Heero entered the room and cleared his throat.

"Heero," he began. "I want to thank you for all you did back there, and apologize for the trouble my son put you through. If I had only known sooner what those terrorists had said to him…" Myles tightened his fist as his side.

"It's all right," Heero interjected. "You couldn't control what happened with Blair." He glanced around the room. "Where is he now?"

"With the police for questioning," Myles answered, an anxious expression creasing his forehead. "He isn't in trouble for his part, but they do want to glean as much information from him as possible."

Heero nodded. "Understood."

Myles sighed and sat back down. "At least we know the threat is over for now. My family and I can return home quietly." He looked up at Heero. "I've already paid you in full, so you're free to go after tonight."

Heero's eyebrows lifted. "Are you sure? I'd be glad to accompany you if you need further assistance. I only request that you allow Relena to travel with us; I've promised to keep an eye on her from now on."

A smile crossed Myles's lips. "There's no need for that; if your duty is with Miss Peacecraft now, so be it. I'm sure she needs you more than we do."

"Hn." Heero didn't know what to say to Myles's generous offer, so he leaned against the wall and shoved his hands into his jacket pockets.

"I've hired plenty of bodyguards," Myles continued. "So you can actually leave now, if necessary. I know Relena has been through quite a shock and could probably use your support." He paused, studying Heero closely. "Did you mean it when you said you loved her earlier?"

Heero merely nodded. He had finally faced up to his feelings, but he wasn't ready to discuss them with anyone but the object of his affection.

Myles chuckled. "I see…I suppose this a personal subject, eh? I'll leave it alone... I only wish you happiness, no matter where life leads you."

Heero made a slight bow toward him. "Thank you." Part of him was going to miss working for such a kind and gentle diplomat. "I hope our paths cross in the future. If you ever need my services again, you know where to find me."

Myles beamed at him. "Thank _you_ for doing such an exceptional job. Now I've been able to see first hand why they call you the Perfect Soldier." He stood to take Heero's hand. Heero didn't often shake hands, but he grasped Myles's firmly.

"I'll go get my things, then," he said, heading to his room. He packed in a few short minutes, bid Myles goodbye, and went to exit the suite. Just then, someone came flying out one of the adjoining bedrooms—Cecilia.

"Heero!" She cried, running toward him. "You're not really leaving, are you?"

He nodded. "Relena needs me now." He surprised himself by saying that out loud, but instantly liked the sound of it.

Cecilia pouted. "You're going to work for her next? Why can't you look after _me_ for longer?"

Heero looked over at Myles, who only smiled at him. _This one's up to you,_ his eyes seemed to say.

"She's been through a lot lately, and I've promised to take care of her," Heero answered.

Cecilia's eyes widened. "You're in love with her, aren't you?"

Now it was Heero's turn to smile. His lips twitched, and he surprised the two Donovans by chuckling softly. "Nothing gets passed you, does it?"

At this, Cecilia giggled. "Well, I hope you'll be very happy. Tell Relena goodbye for me?"

"Sure thing." He raised his hand in a slight wave and turned the door handle, but Cecilia flung herself at him before he could leave. She twisted her arms around his neck and squeezed him tightly.

"I'll miss you, Heero!" She sniffed. "You're the best bodyguard I've ever had! You're so much fun, and you taught me so much."

Heero could hardly believe his ears. She thought _he_ was fun? "I'm sure you can have fun with another bodyguard," he told her. "Maybe you should give Fernando a chance."

Cecilia sniffled again. "You're right. He is pretty funny…" She let go of Heero's neck and watched as he opened the door and stepped into the hallway. "I guess this is it, then. Goodbye, Heero!"

Cecilia, though annoying, actually turned out to be a sweet girl. Still, Heero was glad to be free of his clingy charge; there was only one girl he'd tolerate clinging to him. And he couldn't wait to get back to her. "Goodbye, Cecilia." He waved to both her and Myles, then hurried to Relena's suite. Wesley greeted him as he entered.

"I assume you're taking over from here?" The slightly taller bodyguard nodded at Heero, who nodded back.

"I need to keep a closer eye on her from now on," Heero replied. "Not that your bodyguard abilities aren't adequate; you helped save her life. I appreciate that."

Wesley shrugged and smiled. "Just doing my job." He motioned to a suitcase next to him. "Since I figured you'd be coming here, I went ahead and packed."

"I see," Heero intoned. "If you don't mind my asking, what will you do now? I hope I'm not disrupting your schedule by taking over your job."

The bodyguard shook his head. "Oh, no. Don't even worry about it. Actually, I'm heading to New York, which was what I originally planned to do after the conference." He straightened his shoulders. "You should know that I'm, uh, applying for a position with the Preventers."

Heero raised an eyebrow. "Really," he said in his monotone. "Hn. In that case, I should warn you about the captain of the force."

Wesley looked nervous. "Oh?" He asked, trying to keep his cool. "Why's that?"

"The guy's a real jerk—a pain to work with. _And_ a complete perfectionist. But once you get past his tough exterior…" Heero offered a small smile. "He's not a bad guy."

"Hmm," Wesley mused. "I'll keep that in mind." He went to pick up his luggage and headed for the door. "Well, I'm off to catch my flight. Thanks for everything, Heero. Take care."

"You, too," Heero replied. He and Wesley quickly shook hands before the bodyguard exited. Heero actually found himself getting used to all of this human contact. On that note, he decided to check on Relena as she slept. He found her curled up in her large bed, still clad in her daytime clothes. He tried not to wake her as he crept forward, but discovered that she was a light sleeper. She yawned and stretched as he neared the bed.

"Heero," she whispered into the darkness. "Is that you?"

"Yeah," he answered softly. "Did you sleep?"

"A little." She sat up. "I'll sleep better once I change and get ready for bed."

"Hn," he murmured with a nod. "Good idea."

She walked to him and slipped her arms around his middle, resting her head on his broad chest. "Are you… with me now?" Her voice lifted hopefully.

Heero pulled her into a tight embrace. "I'm with you."

She sighed happily. "Then what's next?"

"Well," he answered, "first on the agenda is sleep. We can start fresh tomorrow. Wesley's left, and I've completed my job with Myles Donovan."

Relena's nose wrinkled. "I thought you had to stay with him for longer. Did he already pay you?"

"He paid me in advance," Heero answered. "He's quite generous."

Relena settled against him. "That's good to know. I'm sure he's one of the better politicians you could work for."

"He is," Heero agreed. "But I prefer to keep company with the best." He rested his hand against her cheek, and she blushed against his touch. "That's why I think I should stay with you for a while."

"Oh? And what do you have in mind?"

He rested his head on top of hers. "You haven't had much of a chance to see Tokyo yet. Why don't we spend a few days exploring the area?" He sounded so genuine, it took her by surprise.

"Really?" She gazed up at him. "You really want to?"

"Of course."

She giggled. "Wow… I can hardly believe it. We can finally spend some time together like a normal couple. I never thought that was possible."

"Neither did I," Heero murmured, pressing a light kiss against her forehead. "But things have to change at some point."

Relena's eyes glimmered in contentment. "Yes… yes, they do."

"Then," Heero continued citing their itinerary, "after we've spent a satisfactory amount of time here, I can accompany you back to Sanc… if you want."

"Of course I do," Relena piped up. "My birthday is coming up soon, so we can spend it together."

"Oh… Are you inviting me to your party, as usual? Is there an invitation I get to tear up?" His eyes glinted mirthfully at her in the dark, and Relena laughed.

"No… No invitation, no party. I just want to spend a quiet evening at home with some friends." She broke their embrace briefly to look into his face. "Do you think we could do that? Oh, and then there's Duo and Hilde's wedding... we could go to that together, too." She laughed lightly. "Am I asking for too much already?"

"No," he answered, pressing his forehead to hers.

"Then, you're okay doing all of this with me?"

"For you," he whispered as he leaned closer, "anything." He brushed his lips against hers, and she smiled brightly.

"You're wonderful, Heero," she breathed. "I'm looking forward to all this time I finally get to spend with you."

"Yeah," he spoke gently. "It's about time."

After a while, the new couple separated for the night. Relena slept in her bed alone while Heero camped outside her door, sleeping on the sitting room couch. Neither of them would have minded falling asleep beside each other, but they were shy about the newness of their relationship. For now, they were both content to spend the night in relatively close proximity, each dreaming of the other.

But Heero, being the protective bodyguard he was, checked on Relena once more before allowing himself to sleep for the rest of the night. His eyes drank in the familiar sight of his angel sleeping peacefully, her blonde hair flowing around her as her chest rose and fell beneath the blankets. He looked at her for a long time, lost in her beauty, wondering how he could be lucky enough to call her his own. Finally, his eyes grew heavy, begging him to rest. He slipped out of Relena's room, but not before stealing one last kiss as she slept. This time, he knew she wouldn't mind.

**The End**


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